Easy
by EpicallyObsessed
Summary: FBI Agent Kendall Knight is on a mission to find his brother and bring down the man responsible for his disappearance. When his investigation leads him to Diamond Tech (and James Diamond), what started as a simple quest turns into something more than Kendall bargained for.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello everyone! No, you're eyes are not decieveing you. A new story is here! :P With only a couple chapters of Chances left, I figured now was a good time to get the ball rolling on this one. This is a story that I actually started about a year or so ago, but never finished. I ended up coming back to it and finished it, so here we are! **

**I hope you all enjoy the first chapter!**

* * *

"Oh, I feel good about this one, Kendall! I feel like a man who can't lose!"

Kendall Knight smirked at his partner. "Uh-huh. Then take the shot, Carlos."

Carlos Gracia squeezed his wadded-up ball of paper and eyed the recycle bin behind Kendall once again before giving him a mistrustful glare.

"You can't cheat, dude. No moving from your seat, no-"

"No wheeling the chair." Kendall said, impatient but amused. "I know the rules of office basketball, Carlos. _Take your shot_."

Carlos pursed his lips. "You forget I've been your partner for four years. The only reason you bothered to learn the rules was so you'd know how to bend them."

Kendall laughed. The man wasn't wrong.

"I'm telling you right now, I'm not staying here a second after five just because you like to hear yourself whining." Kendall warned. "I've got plans."

"Yep. _That's _the level of dedication I've come to expect from my partner." Carlos teased, aiming his paper ball once again.

Carlos wasn't wrong about that either. Kendall liked his job, and some days he'd even loved it-the thrill of out-thinking criminals, the occasional feeling he'd helped someone. More and more often, though, closing a case felt like lopping the head off a hydra-the next day, two more would spring up in its place. And when it came down to it, the most important investigation he'd conducted in the last year wasn't on the FBI's books at all.

"Hey, wait!" Carlos let the paper fall to the desk and pointed an accusing finger at Kendall. "That means you're not coming to Lola's with us tonight for drinks?"

"Nope." Kendall shook his head apologetically. "Not tonight."

"You're breaking tradition! We close a case, we go to Lola's!" Carlos' brown eyes were as mournful as a basset hound's. "But, fine. _Whatever_. Your _plans _are more important than hanging with your coworkers."

If Carlos only knew. _Understatement of the millennium._

Kendall had plans that would help him locate his brother and hopefully take down a powerful, entitled criminal businessman in the process. So, yeah, just a _tad _more important than downing flat beer at Lola's Pub. Not that he would share any of those plans with Carlos.

From the other side of the cubicle dividing Kendall and Carlos' shared space from the rest of the office, Lucy Stone's voice shouted, "Oh, for God's sake, Carlos, take the shot. Our boy's got a date, and it's about damn time he got lucky."

Kendall rolled his eyes, but didn't correct her. It hadn't been more than a month or...fine, maybe _two_, since he'd brought someone home, but not because he _couldn't_. If you had a nice build and decent-looking face, finding a hookup was child's play, and there was no more _luck_ involved in the process of 'getting lucky' than there was in ordering a burger at the drive-thru. The problem was, those hookups were about as stale and unsatisfying as the dollar-menu burger.

"So, who's the lucky gal?" Lucy, their computer specialist, peeked her red-streaked head above the divider. "Or is it a guy? It's a guy, isn't it?"

Kendall shook his head. His bisexuality wasn't something he'd ever hidden-nor was his personal life something he liked to discuss. "No comment."

He cracked his knuckles as a spurt of nervous energy wormed its way through his gut. Part of him was excited that after months of planning, watching, and waiting, it was finally time to take action-the first step on a long path to getting his foster brother Ethan back, and taking down the people who'd framed him-but he wasn't particularly thrilled that tonight would involve what essentially amounted to unauthorized spying. Sinking to the level of the people he wanted to take down was sometimes necessary, but never fun.

_Nothing more than a simple conversation_, he reminded himself.

Kendall's desk phone rang, and Carlos groaned.

"Game over, buddy. Should've taken your shot while you had the chance." Kendall said, shaking his head with mock sympathy as he reached for the receiver. But the voice on the other end chased the smile from his face.

"Knight, I need to see you in my office immediately."

Agent Gustavo Rocque was one of the good guys-the kind of idealistic boss who didn't have grand career ambitions and genuinely cared about his staff. His tone now was stiffer and harsher than Kendall had ever heard him use before.

Kendall's stomach plummeted and his fingers clenched tightly around the phone.

In a career distinguished mostly by his ability to skirt the law and bend the rules, Kendall was used to being in trouble. The question usually wasn't _whether _he'd done something wrong, but _which _of those things he'd been found out on, and he wouldn't have lasted long at this job if he let himself get irritated every time he was called on the carpet.

Today, though, he was pretty sure he knew exactly why he was in trouble, and he was afraid there'd be no bouncing back from this one.

Using agency resources to track his brother had been a calculated risk. Time to pay the piper.

"Coming, sir." He said, putting the receiver back in its cradle.

Without a second to lose, Kendall removed a tiny thumb drive of pictures from his top side drawer and put it in his pocket with a grim smile. Then he unlocked the top middle drawer of his desk and took out the thin sheaf of papers he'd printed that morning. Holding them under the desk, out of Carlos' view, he folded the stack in half and quickly slipped them between his sock and his shoe. Not comfortable, but effective.

_The beauty of low-tech, baby. Nobody thinks to look anymore._

He stood.

Carlos glanced up in concern, their game forgotten.

"Gusty wants us?" Carlos was on his feet reaching for the jacket hung over the back of his chair without waiting for Kendall to reply, but Kendall stopped him with an outstretched palm.

"Not us, man. _Me_. Also, don't ever let him hear you call him that, because I'm pretty sure he would kill you."

Carlos ignored the last part as his eyes narrowed.

"You? Just you?" There was a thread of hurt in his voice as he added, "What's going on, Ken?"

Kendall cleared his throat against the niggle of guilt that tried to lodge there. He and Carlos had been partners for years, and the man had earned Kendall's trust. Carlos wasn't an idiot-he knew Kendall didn't share any details about his personal life, but he probably thought Kendall had enough team loyalty to share information that would impact their work, their partnership.

Kendall hadn't.

And yeah, it was partly because making personal connections was sticky as hell-telling people your shit compelled them to get involved in your life and vice versa. But he also reasoned that if he'd told Carlos about Ethan's disappearance, about the lies and the cover-ups, Carlos' neck would be on the chopping block too.

Kendall forced a smile to his face. "I feel like I may be getting some unexpected time off. You behave yourself, Carlos."

Carlos shook his head, stunned and suspicious. "What's this about?"

But Kendall was already on the move, grabbing his gun from the lockbox in his desk and sliding it into his holster-temporarily, at least-before snagging his own jacket and his FBI cell phone on his way out of the cubicle.

"Kendall?" Lucy called, but Kendall didn't pause. He turned to flash her and Carlos a quick smile and salute as he pulled his jacket on. He wondered what the office rumors would have to say about his departure once it became known.

Probably something like _Kendall went vigilante and got his ass reamed again. _If he were suspended or even fired, they'd likely think nothing of it. Carlos would get a new partner, Lucy would find someone else's love-life to live vicariously through, and that would be that. There was an upside to not putting down roots.

He pulled in a steadying breath. The familiar smell of stale coffee and donuts made his chest inexplicably tight, and he had to mentally roll his eyes at himself.

_Jesus, Kendall._

If they could distill that odor into a candle fragrance, no sane person would buy it, but here he was all wistful because he knew he probably wouldn't smell it again.

When he turned around a bank of cubicles and got a direct line of sight into Gustavo Rocque's glass-fronted office, he saw the man was not alone. Clark Johnson, Special Agent in Charge and general boil on the ass of humanity, sat in a chair in front of Gustavo's desk. Neither man looked happy, but Gustavo's face was flushed and his eyes flashed with temper.

_Stick to the plan, Knight. Deny, deny, deny, and buy yourself some time._

As Kendall approached the office, Gustavo glanced up from his desk and the look of disappointment and anger he leveled at Kendall could have singed the hair off his head. Kendall lifted a hand and ran it through his messy blond mop. _Still there. Barely._

Clark caught the direction of Gustavo's glare and turned his head too, leveling a look of disgust at Kendall. He stood as Kendall entered the office.

"Agent Kendall Knight?"

Kendall nodded and responded in kind. "Agent Johnson."

Kendall put his hand in the pocket of his suit jacket, and smoothed his thumb over the surface of the lucky quarter Ethan had given him a few years back.

_I knew this was going to happen, _he reminded himself. _I owe Ethan more than I can ever repay._

"Have a seat, Agent Knight." Gustavo said stiffly, gesturing next to Agent Johnson.

Kendall sat stiffly. _Think about Ethan. Think about Shane Diamond. You're about more than your badge._

"You know why you're here, I presume." Clark said.

It was the kind of bullshit interrogation tactic they were taught on day one in the Academy. Did he think Kendall was an idiot? That he'd start blabbing?

"I'm afraid I don't, sir." Kendall replied, spreading his palms out flat in front of him and attempting a smile.

"Knight, enough with the bullshit." Gustavo said. "You started working with me right after you left Quantico. You don't have any tricks that I don't know about."

But growing up in a house where the very act of breathing was often grounds for punishment meant Kendall knew better than to volunteer information.

"Why don't you tell me what you think I've done." He said.

Clark leaned forward and grabbed a tablet from the desk.

"How about unauthorized use of Bureau assets, for starters? This image turned up on a facial recognition scan at the airport in Barbados, but the face isn't linked to any ongoing investigation in our database. Running a trace using facial recognition software without authorization is a serious offense."

He turned the display towards Kendall, who kept his expression blank when he saw the picture on the screen. There, in grainy color, was a man with shaggy, messy hair and a beard, his baggy clothing barely concealing his tall, lean frame. It was the very same image Kendall had printed out that morning, the one now growing damp inside his shoe, and it finally proved suspicion that had only grown stronger for the past six months.

Kendall's foster brother, Ethan Schmidt, who everyone on earth believed to be dead, was actually very much alive.

Kendall put his hand back in his pocket and fitted the quarter between his fingers.

_Flick and roll, flick and roll._

"Wow, yeah. I would imagine it's serious. And you think _I _had something to do with running the face through the system?"

"Don't play dumb, Agent Knight." Clark warned. "It's not a good look on you. Now, how about if you tell us who this man is and why you were searching for him."

Kendall made a non-committal noise. "I wish I could, Agent Johnson." He said, a slight bitterness in his voice.

He wished Ethan _could _have a fair shot at coming forward and clearing his name without having to deal with Shane Diamond, the heir-apparent to the global Diamond Tech conglomerate, and James Diamond, the younger brother who always covered for him.

Agent Johnson puffed out his chest and started at Kendall. "Agent Jenny Tinkler recalls you initiating a _flirtation _with her a few months ago."

"Jenny?" Kendall asked, rolling the name around his mouth as though trying to place it. "Oh, the blonde on the seventh floor?"

"Yes." Clark huffed.

Kendall nodded and smiled. "Right, I remember. She's a lovely woman, if only _slightly _clumsy. I do remember chatting with her a few months back."

"She said she offered to show you the facial recognition system." Clark prompted. "And you seemed extremely enthusiastic. She assumed you had a romantic interest in her, and asking her to show you the system was just a way to break the ice. But it wasn't. Was it?"

"I don't understand what you're getting at." Kendall lied. "I do remember her chatting with me about the computer, but...Well, you know me and computers." He shot Gustavo a self-deprecating smile. "I was sort of flirting with her at the time, but the circumstances changed."

"You mean you got her to show you how to program a long-term search and then ditched her?"

Kendall blinked. _Right on the money. _"No. I mean, I remembered there's a no-fraternization policy in the office."

This time it was Gustavo who snorted. "You honestly mean to say you were flirting with Jenny? Just last week at Lola's, you took off with some guy named Tom."

"Your point?" Kendall retorted, allowing his very real impatience with this topic to show. Yeah, he'd been flirting with Jenny to learn her programming system, but he _could _have flirted with her for other reasons. _Jesus. _They needed to cover bisexuality in the next sensitivity training.

"And what about _this_?" Clark tapped his tablet again and showed Kendall a split-screen of two very official-looking letters.

Now this _was _a surprise. He hadn't been expecting anyone to catch him on his rule-bending so soon.

Although Kendall didn't need to read further than the company header at the top of the one on the right-Diamond Tech-to know what he was looking at, he carefully read the entire thing, then shifted his attention to the letter on the left and read through that one too, as though his own signature wasn't affixed to the bottom, buying himself a minute to compose himself.

"This looks like a pretty standard letter from the FBI giving notice of a potential investigation. And the other one looks like the typical, rich-corporation boilerplate reply, saying they're far too powerful and entitled to take our investigation seriously. Nothing out of the ordinary."

Kendall glanced up and met Clark's eyes. They glittered with anger, and somehow it calmed Kendall. He could deal with anger.

"It _wouldn't _be out of the ordinary." Clark agreed. "If this were in our jurisdiction to investigate! This isn't Cyber Crimes, Agent Knight, and no one in the hierarchy has ever authorized an investigation into Diamond Technologies!"

Kendall clenched his jaw, gripping the quarter in his hand so tightly he knew it would leave a mark on his palm. "Perhaps you're not aware, but we received a tip regarding a very clear data breach-"

"An anonymous tip about a data breach which, I will repeat, you have no authority to investigate! Without a warrant, you're only going on an unauthorized fishing expedition. You don't take up a position against a company as powerful as Diamond Tech without dotting your I's and crossing every damn T." Clark's eyes were hard as stone. "If they chose to take further action against us for harassment, it would leave _us _open to litigation, and after the year the Diamond's have had, we never would have won."

Rage blossomed in Kendall's chest. The _Diamonds_ had a tough year? They didn't know the half of it. And now they were getting off scot-free, without any repercussions, as they always seemed to.

Clark shook his head in disgust. "You're lucky they seem to have dropped it after this letter."

Those words were like tiny pins that pricked the dam of Kendall's composure, unleashing a deluge.

"I'm _lucky_? I was _doing my job _investigating illegal activity! Jesus!" Kendall locked his teeth together, trying to reign in his temper.

Clark opened his mouth to reply, but Gustavo cut him off.

"Knight, this isn't your first rodeo, so don't start talking to me about conducting an investigation within the boundaries of the law is compromising your morals. There are rules and procedures we need to follow, and you _know _it. You know exactly how far to push the line without crossing it, and you also know better than to pull a vigilante stunt like this." He motioned towards the letter on the tablet.

Gustavo was right. Kendall _did _know better. He'd sent the letter weeks ago, in a spurt of impatient frustration, wondering if he'd ever see Ethan again, if he'd ever have enough information to make Shane Diamond pay. It had been stupid and he'd known nothing would come of it, but he'd hoped it would make the bastards at Diamond Tech sweat, if only for a minute.

Now, knowing he had nothing more to lose today, he crossed his arms over his chest and stood firm.

"What I _know _is when assholes like Shane Diamond say _jump, _we say _'How high, sir?' _He can get away with anything."

"Ah, and that offends you because only _you _should be able to bend the rules? You're Kendall Knight, the Robin Hood of the FBI!" Clark scoffed and it took all Kendall's self-control not to wipe the smirk off Clark's face with his fist.

"I think we've heard enough." Clark told Kendall, then he stood and stared at Kendall. "You're hereby suspended without pay, Agent Knight, until the Office of Professional Responsibility can investigate your involvement in this matter. Gustavo, take his gun and badge. I'll get Vasquez, and we'll escort him out of the building." Clark turned and left the office, almost gleeful.

Kendall found his ass stuck in his chair and a lump stuck in his throat. The words had hit him like a sucker punch, even though he'd been expecting them.

"Gustavo, _if _I were to break the rules, it would be to help someone who didn't have the power to help himself." Kendall said quietly.

If this was the last moment Gustavo would be his boss, it was somehow important that Gustavo not think of him as an asshole.

_So stupid._

Gustavo shook his head. "You think I don't know that? Christ, Kendall. That's not the issue. Not for _me_, anyway. You see this piece of crap?" He demanded, pointing at the framed inspirational poster that had been hanging on his wall for as long as Kendall could remember, the word Teamwork emblazoned over a sunset skyline.

"You think I keep this here because the freaking scenery inspires me? I've been preaching this to you idiots for years, but you just won't get it. There's no 'U' in teamwork. You don't close cases on your own, you don't go into a sketchy situation without backup, and you don't go off half-cocked just because, for reasons I can't _fathom_, you hate rich people in general and Shane Diamond in particular." Gustavo shook his head sadly. "Until you learn to trust someone, Knight, until you can really believe other people have your back, you're gonna be shark bait for guys like Clark..._and _guys like Diamond."

Kendall ground his teeth together to keep silent. Gustavo didn't know a single thing about his life beyond the black-and-white statistics of his personnel file-the number of schools he'd attended, the number of jobs he'd worked to get himself through college. Nobody knew what went on in those homes behind closed doors, or what it was like to grow up in the poorest, sketchiest neighborhood of an affluent town. They didn't understand the loyalty a man earned when he stood in front of a closed fist to protect his brother.

Men like Clark existed only to serve fat cats like Shane Diamond, and Kendall would be damned if he'd play that game, even if it meant surrendering his badge.

He took his FBI cell phone out of his pocket, but before he could set it on the desk, Gustavo shook his head.

"Keep it. We'll need to contact you."

Kendall nodded robotically, his stomach-churning. The worst had happened, professionally-speaking, but he reminded himself that now he could focus more fully on finding Ethan. _Another thing to blame Shane and James Diamond for._

A knock at the door signaled Clark's return. He'd found another agent and was ready to escort Kendall out of the building.

Kendall stood and mechanically removed his gun from its holster, placing it on Gustavo's desk. It was _weird _setting his badge next to his gun. He felt a flash of panic, followed by an unsettling weightlessness, like the gravity holding him in place had somehow reversed itself. Who was he without his badge?

It was time to find out.

He nodded once at Gustavo.

"Thank you." He said, and he knew Gustavo would understand those thanks had nothing to do with the bullshit he'd just spewed, but with the years he'd spent teaching Kendall how to be a good agent.

Gustavo nodded.

Kendall turned and shouldered his way through the doorway, pushing himself between Clark and the other agent. Clark put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Just a second, Knight."

"What?" Kendall sputtered as the agent gestured for Kendall to put his hands in the air. "You can't do that."

"Oh, you'll find that I can." Clark said pleasantly, patting him down.

Clark removed Kendall's phone, keys, and wallet, then came upon the thumb drive Kendall had stuck in his pocket.

Clark smiled. "Well, now. Look at that. You weren't taking information out of the building, were you?"

"Hey!" Kendall protested. "That's personal!"

"This is an FBI-issued thumb drive." Clark corrected him. "I'm afraid whatever's on here is going to have to remain in evidence. You can be sure I'm going to go over it with a fine-toothed comb, myself."

Kendall let his anger rise to the surface.

"Good luck with that!" He spat.

He grabbed his belongings from Clark's hand, then strode down the hall toward the elevator with the two escorts hot on his heels.

Kendall powered through the revolving door and out onto the rain-swept Boston street before he allowed himself to take a deep breath. If he wanted to help his brother, he needed to play by a different set of rules than Gustavo did-rules that involved using James Diamond to find Ethan.

* * *

**Done! So, it looks like Kendall is a man on a mission, and that mission involved James.**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, as well as if you happened to have a favorite part/moment!**

**Again, I hope you all enjoyed! For those of you reading Chances, the next chapter of that is overdue, but it will more than likely be up tomorrow. As for this story, the next chapter will be up either later this week, or sometime next weekend.**

**Until then!**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello again everyone! Welcome to the second chapter of Easy!**

**Before we get started, I would like to thank everyone that read the first chapter! I would also like to give a huge thank you to Side1ways, winterschild11, Guest, and RainbowDiamonds for reviewing!**

**I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

James watched a plane flying past the window, red tail lights flashing in the darkening sky as it circled a spot above the airport. Perhaps the biggest perk of being on the sixty-fourth-floor ballroom of the opulent Cabot Hotel on a night like tonight was the uninterrupted view of Boston in all its hazy August twilight glory. From up here, his perspective was skewed just enough to make the brightly lit freighters in the Harbor look like wind-up toys. Even the plane in the distance seemed like something he could grab out of the sky, superhero-style, and set safely on the ground where it belonged.

Sadly, James' reflection in the glass mocked the very idea of him achieving superhero status. With brunet hair that constantly flopped on his forehead, he felt more like Clark Kents geekier brother, playing dress-up in a thousand-dollar suit. Besides which, logging a thousand hours a year playing League of Legends online didn't exactly qualify him to join the Avengers. He wondered how long he'd have to make polite conversation before he could make his getaway.

He wished, not for the first time, there was even _one _person at this party who was here for _him_.

James stared at the reflection of the party in the window, the bright lights and the languid, unhurried movements of Boston's ultra-rich, interspersed with the quicker and more deliberate steps of servers who roamed the party serving champagne and canapes. There were hundreds of men here tonight. No doubt dozens of them would be thrilled to leave here on his arm. The trick was finding a guy who wasn't interested in James Diamond, President of Diamond Tech, but in plain, nerdy James. If such a unicorn existed, James hadn't found him on Grindr.

The plane was edging lower, beginning its descent. Superhero or not, James' eyes fixed firmly on those flashing red lights, and he guarded it with the force of his stare until it dipped behind another building and out of sight.

"James?"

With a guilty start, he turned away from the window to find several pairs of eyes watching him intently. He stifled a sigh.

"Sorry. Yes?"

The biggest _downside _to spending the evening in this sixty-fourth-floor ballroom was being here as the host of the annual SafeWater gala-the party of the season for Boston's elite, all to benefit the clean-water charity James' mother had started decades before. James had somehow been coerced into giving a speech and glad-handing all the donors, probably because it hadn't even occurred to him to fight this stuff anymore. Just a typical Friday night when you'd inherited the top position at one of Boston's biggest corporations.

The small group clustered in a semicircle around him, all high-ranking members of Diamond Tech, watched him expectantly, waiting in vain for brilliance to fall from his lips. His chest felt tight, and he resisted the urge to tug at his collar.

Though not everyone had such high expectations.

"Daydreaming again?" Jett Stetson snorted.

James ignored him, pushing down the instinctive flare of temper in his gut. To acknowledge Jett's months-long post-breakup temper tantrum would only encourage him to be an even bigger and more controlling asshole. If the idiot weren't so freakishly good at his job as the head of Diamond Tech's legal department, James would have fired him a long time ago. Still, he was pleased when Jett rolled his eyes a moment later and walked away to share his sunshiny personality with some other lucky guests.

Mrs. Hunt, the head of Diamond's charitable foundation, sighed and gave James an encouraging pat on the arm along with a watery smile like she assumed grief, rather than annoyance, was distracting him. The woman constantly surprised him with her ability to read tragedy into every situation. _He _wasn't the Diamond brother who was stuck wallowing in grief after their parents' deaths in a plane crash thirteen months ago. James had been done with _his _grieving for nearly a year.

He gave her a bright smile and grabbed a flute of champagne from a passing waiter, needing the quick buzz.

"Your team outdid themselves tonight, Mrs. Hunt. I'm sure we'll be raising plenty of money for SafeWater."

"So thoughtful of you to say," she began, but James didn't hear anything else. A stranger walked through the door, and James' thoughts stuttered to a halt.

_Holy shit._

Who the hell was that?

The guy standing in the doorway was gorgeous. His blond hair was messy-not in an accidental way like James' currently was, but like he'd _earned _that messiness from frantic hands running through it in some dark closet or shadowy hallway. The very idea sent a bolt of electricity to James' groin. He'd never felt an instant attraction like this before in his life.

The man strode into the ballroom like he owned the place, lips turned up in a confident smirk, and all James could think was, _"Yes. Finally, yes." This _was a man who wouldn't be careful. He would take what he wanted, and James would yield, and all the thoughts that buzzed in his head like angry bees would be silenced. It would all be as easy as breathing. He squinted just a little bit to see what color the man's eyes were.

Then the stranger paused a few paces inside the room and threw a flirtatious smile at Kelsea Stevens, his eyes straying to her barely-contained breasts, and James felt his face go hot.

_Typical, Diamond. Lusting after the hot, straight guy._

He snapped back to reality, where Mrs. Hunt was still speaking in mournful tones. James slugged down his champagne like medicine, a vaccine against contagious misery.

"...just wonderful, and your speech tonight was the cherry on top! But I can understand how distracted you must be, on a night like tonight. I only wish your brother were here to see it."

James shut his mouth so quickly his teeth clacked together. Trust Mrs. Hunt to bring up the one thing everyone else in the room was wondering about but not daring to mention.

"I'm sure Shane is every bit as proud as I am," he deflected smoothly, even though most days James wasn't sure Shane even remembered his own name, let alone the existence of the SafeWater fundraiser.

"And where _is _Shane?"

James turned to face the man on his right. If Mrs. Hunt could be trusted to stumble onto minefield where angels feared to tread, Deckard Shaw, the junior U.S. Senator from Tennessee and James' honorary uncle, could be trusted to follow right behind her, leading a big brass band.

James gave him what he hoped was a patient smile.

"Working." _Obsessing, drinking, grieving. Always grieving. _"You know how he is when he's working on a project."

Uncle Shaw shook his sandy-blond head. "Utterly consumed, no doubt. Just like your father. But we'll be seeing you in St. Brigitte! Next week, is it?"

He exchanged a glance with the tall, dark-haired bodyguard-slash-assistant who followed him everywhere, and the assistant nodded. "Next weekend, sir. We arrive a week from today."

"Good man, Jake." Shaw said with a smile, patting the man on the shoulder. "Don't know what I'd do without this guy, I really don't."

Jake looked at James intently, almost unnervingly so. The man was attractive, with blue eyes, tanned skin, and a distinctive mole beneath his eye that gave him a rakish look, but he wasn't James' type at all.

Jake winked and gave him a small smile. "I enjoy making myself indispensable."

_Ugh. _Definitely not his type.

James blinked and turned back to Shaw, so distracted by Jake's weird look-was it _flirtation_?-he almost missed what Shaw had said.

"St. Brigitte?" He repeated.

"Mmhmm. The Standall's private island, for their annual charity gala. I know for a fact you and Shane were invited. Good publicity for the company _and _for public servants like myself." He winked at James.

"No." James said flatly. "I won't be going. And I sincerely doubt Shane will either." He didn't think Shane had ventured out of his apartment in weeks.

Shaw sighed. "If I've told Shane once, I've told him a million times-you need to lean on the people around you in times of crisis! I really think I could be a help to you, James, if you let me handle some projects for you. I helped your dad found Diamond Tech, and I haven't been out of the game very long, either." He gave James the 'you can trust me' smile he'd used to win his Senate seat two years ago, just around the time he'd left his position at Diamond Tech.

"And I'll tell you the same thing Shane told you, Uncle Shaw." James said coolly. "I appreciate the offer, but we've got things under control."

He knew Shaw meant well, but his constant offers of help over the past year had become grating-more like a condemnation of James' ability than a sincere desire to help. Though maybe that was James' own insecurities talking.

"You two are so stubborn." Shaw shook his head with fond exasperation, and not a single strand of his hair changed position. "I'm going to keep asking. And just wait until your Aunt Jenna hears you've refused our help again."

_Lovely. _He couldn't wait.

Shaw turned to congratulate Drew Pearce on landing a new contract and James flagged down a waiter who scurried over to replenish his drink.

"Yeah, I was pretty thrilled it came through." Drew was saying. "Especially given the possible FBI investigation. But Jett said it's been handled."

James' attention was caught. "_Investigation_?"

Drew's eyes widened and he glanced quickly from James to Shaw to Jett, who stood nearby talking to socialite Lydia Standall. "We received a notice from the FBI a couple weeks back about an investigation into a security breach originating at Diamond Tech. They were asking to talk directly to Shane since he's the CEO and head of development, so any security breach would be in his purview."

"And mine."

"Well, yes, but…" Drew swallowed hard. "I tried to get in touch with Shane first. When he didn't return my calls or emails, I worried the investigator would start calling my team, so I got Jett involved."

James watched Jett shake Mrs. Standall's hand and walk towards the main bar at the front of the room.

"Did you." It wasn't a question.

"He sent them a letter, or whatever, but I don't know whether they're going to drop it." He paused to lick his lips. "He sent out a company-wide memo saying nobody should allow FBI agents on the premises or answer any questions without consulting Legal first." Drew glanced at Shaw again, then back at James. "I would have thought he'd told you?"

James nodded, his eyes still on Jett. "So would I."

"Maybe he thought he was helping you out, my boy." Shaw said jovially. "You've got too much on your plate as it is. More than you can handle. It's what friends do."

_No. _Taking control without even giving someone a choice was _not _what friends did.

James plastered a brittle smile on his face and excused himself from Drew and Shaw. Jett had gone too far, and it was past time they had a reckoning.

_God, what I wouldn't give to have my parents here._

The thought surprised him. It had been a long time since anything like that had popped into James' head. After his parents died and Shane checked out, James had done a bunch of bargaining with the Universe. _How do I do this job? Tell me what to do, and I'll do it._

The Universe had sent him nothing but the echo of his dad's voice: _Diamonds never back down, James._

It hadn't been easy, but James had learned how to fake competence like a champ. He wasn't a self-made billionaire like his father, a tree-hugging philanthropist like his mother, or a tech genius like his brother, but he was the only damn Diamond in the room.

Now, he carried the Diamond name before him like a shield, drew himself up to his full six-feet-one, and locked eyes on his target at the bar.

XxX

James crossed the floor to the bar, his eyes trained with dagger-like intensity on Jett's familiar taut shoulders, struggling to remember why he'd ever liked the guy.

Jett was someone's idea of the perfect specimen, no doubt-great hair and nice body, shock-and-awe brilliance with all things legal, intense focus. He was an amazing litigator and a generous, careful bed partner. Outside of the bedroom, though, he'd been an absolutely shiteous boyfriend, accusing James of inventing drama every time he took exception to Jett's high-handedness. And _still _James had wanted them to be able to work together, for the sake of their history-their parents' friendship, Jett's decades-long friendship with Shane. But if Jett's bullshit was going to undermine James' position at Diamond Tech, James wouldn't tolerate it.

"Jett, I need to talk to you."

Jett took a sip of his drink-bourbon, no doubt-but didn't turn.

"That's nice. I thought you preferred ignoring my existence."

"I prefer to ignore your _attitude_." James corrected. "What is this FBI investigation, Jett? And why the hell did I have to hear about it from Drew Pearce?"

"It's not a big deal." Jett waved a careless hand in the air. "I took care of it."

"The big deal is you didn't _tell _me, Jett." James darted a glance around to verify that they were alone, and caught sight of the hot blond from earlier, standing near the exit. He was alone, a drink in his hand, and if it weren't so utterly impossible, James would swear the guy was looking right at him.

_Focus, Diamond. On Jett, not the hot guy._

He turned back to Jett and lowered his voice as he continued. "You didn't give me a chance to figure out how I want to deal with it."

Jett finally turned to look at him. "Why is it you can never trust me to handle things for you? Why do you have to be such a control freak?"

The irony of the statement seemed to sail over Jett's head.

James rolled his eyes and Jett's nostrils flared. "Fine, you want to know? Yeah, the FBI sent us a notification that they're investigating a data breach that came from Diamond Tech. It appears some classified information may have been accessed."

"But we have security clearances." James said in confusion.

"Come on, Jamie. You know information isn't all classified to the same degree." The look Jett shot him was the dictionary definition of condescending. Coupled with the stupid fucking nickname, it sent James' blood pressure soaring. "They're saying we didn't have authorization to access the server that was accessed, and it wasn't accessed in an approved manner, using government-supplied credentials."

"Jesus. They think we hacked them?" James demanded in a harsh whisper. "What do we need to do?" His fingers clenched tightly on the glass in his hand.

"We don't need to do anything! I told you, it's bullshit and it's already been taken care of." Jett took another sip of his bourbon.

"So, there was no breach?"

Jett looked at him was an idiot, then gave him a smug smile. "Of course there was a breach. We did our own internal investigation of the equipment and credentials used."

"And?" James demanded.

Jett shrugged, and James lost control of his temper.

"God, Jett! This is what I fucking mean! You can't give me even half an answer. Tell me!"

"Tell you?" Jett slid from the bar and leaned toward James, all cold anger and intimidation. "Tell you the electronic signatures indicate Shane was the one who hacked them? Tell you your brother probably didn't answer the FBI's questions because he knew he could incriminate himself? Tell you the best way to handle this was to throw our weight around so nobody looked too closely? Tell you Shane could go to jail for a very long time if he actually got caught? How much do you _really _want to know, James?"

James felt gravity tilt slightly, so his feet no longer felt firmly planted to the ground.

"Shane?" He could only manage to utter a single syllable.

Jett's anger seemed to drain out of him as he took in James' shocked expression. He blew out a breath.

"James-"

James shook his head. "How is that...It's just not..._No_. Not possible."

Shane had graduated college at seventeen. He'd designed artificial intelligence technology in high school still being used by the military today. If he wanted to hack a system to obtain information, he'd take every piece of information right down to the size of your dick and you'd never even know he'd been there. James knew jack shit about hacking and electronic signatures, but he knew that much.

Jett sighed. "I don't know how it's possible, but Shane is messed up right now. You and I both know it. I stopped by his house the other day, and he was sitting in the dark watching home movies from when we were kids. You and him, me and Amelia, our parents, the Shaws. He's still grieving, still obsessing about the crash." He took a deep breath. "And the agency he hacked was the NTSB."

James reached out a hand to steady himself against the bar and motioned to the bartender to get him another of what Jett was drinking. The floating feeling he'd experienced a moment ago got worse as he processed Jett's words. The National Transportation Safety Board had investigated the plane crash that had killed James and Shane's parents and Jett's sister Amelia...but none of this made any sense.

"There's nothing to hack there, Jett." James said, shaking his head. "The investigation was concluded two months after the crash. We all got the report. The pilot was seen drinking heavily before the flight and failed to check the engine. It was pilot error."

Jett nodded. "I know. But you know Shane never accepted it. He wanted accountability. He wanted somebody punished."

James rubbed his fingers against his forehead again. It had been impossible to punish anyone, of course, when nobody had walked away from the crash. He remembered Shane's reaction vividly, since it had involved piles of shattered glass in the living room of their parents' home, and had preceded Shane falling off the face of the earth for a solid week. It had been the first disappearance of many.

"What the hell was he looking for when he hacked them?"

"You think I'd know?" Jett snorted. "Two years ago, I could have told you every single thought in your brother's head. We shared _everything_. But I lost him after the crash the same was I lost Amelia."

His words were so bleak, the sentiment so close to what James himself had felt, that James felt his anger subside.

"I think it was probably even earlier." He said quietly. "You thought he was crazy when he asked Amelia to marry him."

Jett chuckled. "True. I never understood what they had in common. Amelia was...well, you know. Flighty. And Shane was _mine_. My friend, I mean."

James nodded. Shane and Jett had been inseparable. He wondered for the first time if missing Shane had prompted Jett to start dating him in the first place. Trying to substitute one brother for the other. It had probably never really been about James at all.

He glanced back at the spot where his hot guy had been standing, but the man had moved, maybe even left for good. He scanned across the far side of the room, but there was no one there.

_Figures._

"I don't like thinking about this shit." Jett said, drinking deeply. "And I know _you _don't like thinking about it either. God, you never even visit your parents' graves. I didn't want the investigation to bring all of that back for you, so I made sure it went away."

"I don't need to visit their graves, Jett. There's nothing there but dates and names." This was familiar territory, too-an argument they'd had a hundred times. James wouldn't be baited. This wasn't about _him_, this was about Jett keeping things from him.

Jett pierced him with a glance. "And apparently you don't need to cry. You were fine boxing up all your parents' things and selling the house two months after they died. And you don't hang out with your friends or volunteer anymore."

James sighed. "Can we please not-"

"You run away from everything emotional. You just...shut down." Jett concluded.

James shook his head firmly. "And here we were getting along for a whole five minutes." Why was everything with Jett so fucking complicated? He hardened his voice. "From now on, full communication. Understood?"

Jett rolled his eyes before lifting his drink in a mocking salute. "Sure thing, boss."

James slammed back the rest of his own drink and straightened. It was still early, but surely he'd endured enough torture for one night. Time to go. Maybe he'd see if Hot Guy was out in the lobby, and-

Ha. James couldn't even complete the fantasy.

A guy who looked like that would want nothing to do with James.

_Guess I'll just head home and play video games or-_

"Well, if it isn't the man of the hour!"

James turned to see Lydia Standall beaming at them, and James found himself returning her smile with practiced ease. "Thanks so much for coming."

Lydia's smile grew even warmer. "James, dear, I wouldn't miss it. SafeWater was like your mother's third child, after all. She'd be proud to see how well you've done with it."

James coughed over the sudden tightness in his throat.

"Thank you." _God. _This was why he preferred spending his evening gaming. Emotions were exhausting.

She turned to Jett and put a hand on his shoulder, then beamed at them both. "And now the two of you will return the favor when you come to St. Brigitte next week!"

The Standall's fundraiser, the one Uncle Shaw had mentioned.

"No, I'm afraid I can't make it."

Mrs. Standall looked crestfallen. "Oh, but James!"

Jett looked annoyed.

"I told Lydia earlier we'd be attending." He said in a harsh whisper, the kind of whisper that said, _Don't be childish, James, Don't argue in public. We'll discuss this later._

Once again, Jett had made a selfish decision without consulting or considering him at all. Immediately, his anger was back.

He set his jaw and lifted a hand to motion for the bartender. _One mroe drink to keep me from committing murder. _But his hand dropped just as quickly.

Hot Guy was sitting at the other end of the bar, his eyes unmistakably fixed on James. He raised a single eyebrow and nodded to the seat next to him, a challenge and an invitation all rolled into one.

James was transfixed by the way the light played over the man's hair, then the guy smiled-a teasing, lopsided grin-and James' stomach inverted. Did he know who James was? Had he focused on James because of his name, or the tragic legend of his family? In that moment, James couldn't find it in him to care. The man's eyes were curious, hot, and fixed on James. For that look, James would be anyone Hot Guy wanted-Superman, Clark Kent, or anyone in between.

The man smiled again, wide and predatory, and every instinct in James' body jumped to life, but he had no interest in running away. He couldn't wait to get closer.

He turned to Lydia again. "I'm sorry, it's impossible."

_Nothing _they could say would get him to fly to St. Brigitte, and Jett knew it. He _knew _it, damn him.

Jett was glaring daggers at him, but James wouldn't, _couldn't_, back down. Instead, he held Jett's angry glare for a minute, letting his own eyes go flat and cold. He would not be manipulated or pushed around, and Jett needed to understand that.

A second later, Jett ground his teeth together and looked away. _If that PBS nature special on wolves was right, I'm pretty sure Jett's now my bitch._

He gave Lydia an apologetic glance. "I'm really very sorry."

Lydia nodded, seeming resigned. "Alright. Well, I'll leave you both on the guest list, just in case." She glanced back and forth between him and Jett, confused.

_Whatever. Let Jett figure his way out of this one._

"If you'll excuse me, I see someone I need to speak to." James said before kissing Lydia on the cheek.

He stalked toward the far end of the bar, his gaze locked on the man who was-_holy shit_-waiting for him. His heart lurched into a disjointed quick-step, and lines of poetry, actual _poetry_, leaped into his head. _Jesus, he was a handsome man._

And that was before the man smiled at him like they'd known one another for years and slid out the stool next to his.

"Well, James Diamond." The man said, sending an honest-to-God shiver down James' spine. "Looked like you handed that guy his ass." He nodded in Jett's direction without breaking eye contact. "Remind me not to piss you off."

James laughed out loud before he'd even fully processed the man's words, and then stopped, stunned. When was the last time he'd laughed like that? He honestly couldn't remember. The vise he'd felt clamped around his chest all night loosened and dropped away.

"Let me get you a drink." The man said.

His eyes were green. Bright, bright green.

And just like before, all James could think was _Yes. Finally. Yes._

* * *

**Done! So, we've officially met James. And it looks like a mystery blond has his sights set on the brunet. I wonder who that could be. :P**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, as well as if you happened to have a favorite part/moment!**

**Again, I hope you all enjoyed! The next chapter of this probably won't be up until next week sometime.**

**Until then! :D**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello everyone! Welcome back to Easy! I can't believe it's been about two weeks since I've updated this! This chapter was supposed to be up sooner, but better late than never, right? **

**Before we get started, I would like to thank everyone that read last chapter! I would also like to give a huge thank you to winterschild11, Guest, Side1ways, XxxAnimaniacxxX, and RainbowDiamonds for reviewing!**

**I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

"Okay, I've got one!" James said, swaying forward to put his hand on Kendall's forearm.

Kendall, who sat on the stool next to his at the little bar, while the fundraiser was in full swing behind them.

Kendall, who James had somehow gotten to reveal that his full name was Kendall Donald Knight-much to the blond's annoyance.

Kendall, who liked drinking Jameson, which showed excellent taste, and pineapple on his pizza, which was totally disgusting.

Kendall, who agreed Firefly should never have been canceled, but who had never in his life seen Stranger Things, which was a travesty.

Kendall, who was sexy as fuck and looked at James with a combination of amusement and lust which scrambled James' wits faster than the whiskey they'd been drinking in copious amounts.

Kendall, who was now apparently his best friend.

"You ready? Never have I ever had sex with two people at once."

He and Kendall stared at each other, smiling, then Kendall grabbed his drink and sipped.

"Ha! I knew it!" James laughed. "Deviant."

Kendall grinned. "_Prude_. It's not even that unusual. First time was with these identical twins, Jess and Beth Sinclair, senior year of high school after we won our homecoming game. I was so fucked up, I hardly remember most of it, but I became a school legend."

James laughed out loud. "So, what you're really saying is there might have been only one girl, and you had double vision?"

Kendall pushed him so hard, James would have fallen off his barstool if Kendall hadn't also grabbed him around his bicep and pulled him back onto the seat.

"No, seriously!" James laughed as Kendall wrapped an arm around the back of his neck to hold him steady. "I knew a guy on one of the humanitarian trips I took who had double vision all the time, not just from drinking. The trick is to cover one side." He demonstrated, clapping his palm over his right eye. "Now your brain can't get confused by any mixed signals."

"You know the weirdest stuff. You learned that on a humanitarian trip?" Kendall's thumb brushed the side of James' neck in a casual way, which nevertheless made James' pulse pick up.

James shrugged and lowered his hand from his eye. His face was inches away from Kendall's now, and he felt heat climb his cheeks at the proximity. _When was the last time he'd been this turned on?_

"Yep. They don't always have the access to surgeries or other inventions, so they go old-school and low-tech. But it works." He moved back slightly and took a sip of his drink, trying valiantly to cover his arousal. "It's also handy when you're playing video games after a few drinks and need to shook a target."

Kendall threw his head back and laughed, his hands dropping to his sides. "You are...not like I thought you'd be."

For just a second, James tilted his head, trying to figure out whether there was a thread of disappointment in Kendall's voice, whether he was just another person who preferred the image of James Diamond they saw in the newspaper, but the grin on Kendall's face said he was pretty pleased by whatever he'd discovered.

James laughed again. The champagne he'd guzzled earlier combined with the drinks they'd just had was fizzling and popping, inflating and invisible balloon inside him, filling all his empty places and lifting him away from the tethers of gravity. A voice in his head which sounded like Jett's suggested he should be suspicious of the feeling, but he couldn't quite bring himself to care.

"Fuck you. _My _turn," Kendall said, his evil, teasing glare making James' pulse thrum wildly. "Never have I ever dated anyone on the Hundred Richest People in America list, or whatever they call it."

James rolled his eyes and obligingly took a drink.

"Yeah, somehow I figured," Kendall smirked. "Bet that's how you picked your dates in high school."

"Not _me_." James elbowed Kendall. "Other people. Or their parents anyway. My parents grew up normal, middle-class all the way. Diamond Tech didn't take off until after Shane was born, so they were really chill. But other people's parents, not so much." He wined. "One time in college, before I decided I wanted to work with non-profits, I was interning with one of my dad's best friends. He tells me I'm doing such an amazing job, showing so much potential, all that good stuff. He wants to take me out to lunch, right? And I'm down with that because I think it's gonna buy me a serious in with my dad, you know? Like he's gonna be genuinely happy with me for once because I pleased this guy."

James laughed softly as Kendall's forehead creased in thought.

"So anyway, I get to this restaurant, and he's got his whole family there-wife, his adopted son, and his daughter, Arcadia."

"Arcadia?" Kendall repeated. "For real? Only a millionaire could name their kid that."

"Oh, shut up. People all up and down the socioeconomic spectrum name their kids unfortunate things, Knight. We haven't cornered the market on this shit."

Kendall rolled his eyes, making James laugh.

"So, Mr. Shaw, my dad's friend, sits me on one side of the table between Arcadia and his adopted son, Dak, and the whole time, he's telling me how amazing Arcadia is-she's in this sorority, and she's won this debate thingy. He was, like, ready to negotiate a bride price right then and there. Like, how many goats will you give me for my daughter?" James snorted. "And you wanna know what was really funny? I had dated _Dak _for a while in high school! I guess his dad just never knew. I mean, _I _certainly never told anyone."

Kendall snorted. "You should have told him to offer you a _groom _price instead."

But James shook his head and winced. "Oh, believe me, not from this guy. Nope. I kind of feel bad for Dak, because he's, you know, gotta be seeing Narnia from that deep in the closet. But he was also mad at the world back then, and totally emo for the longest time, so I was not gonna involve myself in that hot mess."

James shook off thoughts of Dak and gave Kendall a winning smile. "Okay, forget that shit. Moving on. Never have I ever had sex in a public place."

James sized Kendall up, watching him reach for his glass, waiting to see if he would drink, but he didn't lift his hand off the bar. They both burst out laughing.

"You're lying! I've only known you for a couple of hours and I can already tell you've got to be lying," James said, shaking his head sadly at the glint in Kendall's eyes.

"No!" He said, nodding his head.

"Oh my God!" James said, pointing at him. "You just did the thing where you nodded and said no! Total indicator that you're lying!"

"What?" Kendall's expression was startled and maybe a little embarrassed. "I did not!"

"Did too," James teased. _God_, he liked this guy way too much already. He cast around for a safer topic to return to. "So, uh, public sex?"

"I haven't, really! I mean, unless...Wait, how are we defining sex?" Kendall asked as his green eyes danced and his mouth twisted up in a lopsided smile, which made James' cock twitch. "And for that matter, how are we defining public?"

James raised a brow. "Public, like if someone could catch you. Sex, as in anything beyond petting."

"_Petting_," Kendall echoed, chuckling. "Who the fuck says petting?"

"Me, clearly. And I mean, isn't that what you do with girls? You, like, pet them?"

Kendall dissolved into full-on laughter and slumped on the bar, clutching his stomach. "Oh, holy shit. Oh, God."

James felt his face flame. "Dude, like I'd have the first clue what to do with a girl..._woman_...whatever."

Kendall laughed softly. "Not even the first clue, huh?"

"Well, I took AP Biology, but uh...no. No practical knowledge," James confirmed before putting a hand over his mouth. "I cannot believe I just said that."

Not that James had a problem outing himself-he'd never really been in the closet, not since the first time his nanny had shown him an ancient episode of The Brady Bunch and he'd realized Peter did it for him way more than Marsha. Still, he wondered about the man in front of him, and the alcohol made him bolder, looser, and less guarded than he otherwise would have been.

He licked his lips. "You do, though, right?" He asked Kendall, who was still chuckling. James felt his face flush red. "I mean, beyond Jenny and Becky?"

Kendall frowned, apparently trying to follow his inarticulate question, then he smiled again, and James forgot to be uncomfortable because the way Kendall's mouth hitched up at one corner made James' stomach swoop.

"Jess. Jess and Beth. You have the most enticing eyes," Kendall said softly, then blinked as if he hadn't meant to say that. He cleared his throat. "But yeah. I mean, yeah, I like women."

James nodded and looked down at his whiskey. _Well, of course. _Hadn't James seen Kendall's fascination with Kelsea Stevens earlier in the evening, when he'd first walked into the ballroom? It was alright. It was fine. They were just two new friends having a drink at a party, and it was absolutely _not _disappointment making it hard for him to breathe.

Kendall put his hand over James' where it rested against the bar, and leaned toward him slightly. "I'm also attracted to men."

James' head shot up and he sucked in a breath, but Kendall's eyes were focused behind James' head. "Speaking of which, the guy you were talking to earlier is watching us right now."

James shifted in his seat, but Kendall's hand trapped his.

"Don't turn to look," he said softly, his breath hot on James' ear. "Unless you _want _him to come over here. He's staring at you like he wants to know what color your boxer briefs are."

A bolt of acute lust shot straight to James' groin-a one-two punch of Kendall's warm hand on his, and the words he spoke. He loved the way Kendall touched him, and had seemed to find excuses to touch him all night. But then Kendall's words registered.

"How do you know I wear boxer briefs?" James whispered.

James wondered if he imagined the hitch in Kendall's breathing.

But before Kendall could speak-and James was _dying _to know what Kendall had to say for himself-a hand fell on James' shoulder.

"Jamie."

Jett's voice held long-suffering disapproval, like James was a dog who simply refused to heel. Kendall's eyes met James', and he raised an eyebrow that spoke volumes. It reminded him of the wordless communication his parents had sometimes shared. _Who is this guy? Why is he claiming you? What are we going to do about it?_

But he didn't pull back from James' space. He looked ready to fight.

James very nearly laughed and shifted himself closer to Kendall.

"My name is James. Or Jay. Now go away, Jett," he said without turning around.

Jett sucked in a pissed off breath. "We need to talk."

"Again? We talked earlier, and I heard enough. If and when I want to talk to you again, I'll call you."

Kendall smelled _delicious_-like a weird combination of pine and oranges. Trees and citrus had never made James hard before, but somehow right now, they were everything. He leaned into Kendall and inhaled deeply, and watched in fascination as Kendall bit his lip and shifted in his seat.

_Oh, fuck yes. This was happening._

"James!" Jett pulled at James' shoulder and tried to spin him around on his stool, but at the same moment, Kendall splayed his hand on James' waist beneath his open jacket, keeping him locked in place. Kendall's entire body tensed, and his head went back slightly so he could meet James' eyes again. _Am I beating this asshole up? How do you want me to play this? _The questions were as clear as if they'd been spoken out loud.

Though he'd never aspired to be the prize in a tug of war, James loved the feeling of Kendall's palm against his flank, the heat of him seeping through James' thin shirt. Though _James _knew Jett was nothing more than an annoyance, he liked that Kendall seemed ready to step up if James wanted him to. But what he fucking _loved _was that the guy hadn't moved his ass from his seat without checking whether James _did _want him to. Almost like he expected James could handle himself. Almost like he trusted James' judgment.

_Imagine that._

James smiled wide, euphoric in a way that had fuck-all to do with his whiskey.

Kendall looked confused-and no wonder, because Jett's hand was still on James' shoulder, pulling like a tractor beam-but his lips tipped up too, like he couldn't help it.

James shook his head and, still smiling, turned to face Jett. "What. Do. You. Want?"

Jett's nostrils flared and he darted a glance at Kendall before looking back at James. He looked tired and pissed because James wasn't falling in line with his plans. The fragile peace they'd achieved an hour ago was definitely over.

"I want to discuss that stunt you pulled with Lydia."

James calmly sipped his Jameson. His eyes were on Jett, but he was one hundred percent aware of the warm body at his back, supporting him.

"There is nothing to discuss. You completely overstepped by accepting Lydia's invitation when you knew I wouldn't fly to St. Brigitte. I corrected your error."

He tried to turn away, but Jett stopped him and rolled his eyes.

"Look, I'm sorry I made plans for us without consulting you, Jamie," he drawled, making it sound like their argument had been a lover's spat. "But get over it and talk about it like a grown up! It's not about you and me, it's about what's best for Diamond Tech, and you're the president."

James jerked his shoulder out of Jett's grip and glared. "Don't fucking tell me how to do my job or how to be a Diamond. I'm not a child, and I have a perfectly valid reason for not wanting to go."

Behind him, Kendall tensed, likely bracing himself for a fight, and from the corner of his eye, he saw Kendall's knuckles whiten on his glass.

Jett frowned, and then as he looked at James, the light seemed to dawn. His eyes softened before he closed his eyes tightly for a half-second in realization. "What, still?"

"Yes, _still_," James said, hating Jett for always making him feel so fucking _weak_.

"But what about...you know, your doctor? Doesn't she help?" He gave Kendall a cautious glance, like he didn't want to give too much away.

James snorted. Because _now _Jett cared about embarrassing him?

"You mean my _therapist_. And what about her? She says not to allow _anyone_ to push me past my comfort level, or to take risks unless I can completely trust myself and the people around me."

There was something that looked a lot like hurt that flashed in Jett's eyes before he glanced away. His eyes eventually landed on Kendall again.

"And who are you?" He demanded.

James could still sense Kendall's tension from behind him. Kendall's chest was pressed against his back, and he could feel Kendall's indrawn breath down to his toes.

Kendall didn't say a word, allowing James to decide if and how to answer. But James had nothing to hide.

"This is my friend Kendall."

"Kendall," he drawled. "And how do you know James, _Kendall_?"

James felt Kendall shrug, then his hands fitted to the sides of James' torse. "We have lots of interests in common."

"Like what?" Jett demanded.

_Like we both like Jameson and we both like to fuck men. _It was on the tip of James' tongue, but he refrained from commenting. He deserved a medal.

"Like none of your business, and I believe James asked you to please move along," Kendall said.

Jett hesitated, glaring back and forth between them, but James had endured enough.

"Move along, Jett. For God's sake, for _my _sake, for the sake of our friendship...hell, for the sake of karma and peace on earth and whatever the fuck you want. Please, just...go."

The hurt look was back on Jett's face, but he quickly masked it before grinding his teeth together.

"We will be discussing this _tomorrow_."

James rolled his eyes and made a mental note to shut his ringer off. Tomorrow was Saturday anyway. They watched as Jett stalked off towards the exit, and then James turned to face Kendall.

Kendall's gaze was still on Jett, and James was once again reminded of a predator. But unlike the way he looked at James, Kendall's eyes now were cold and calculating. A predator on the hunt with no trace of playfulness in his gaze. Kendall glanced at James and smiled.

"Do you know CPR?"

"Pardon?"

"CPR. Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Could you save my life if I suddenly dropped dead?"

James shook his head. "Uh...sort of? I was a lifeguard back in college. Is that, uh, likely to happen?"

Kendall grinned and looked over towards the elevators again. "Only if looks can kill."

James groaned at the joke, but the happy bubble which seemed to surround him, surround _them_, was safely back in place.

"Wanna tell me who that jerk was?" Kendall asked easily, relaxing deeper into his stool as the elevator dinged. "The introduction only went one-way."

James got the idea that if he said _no_, if he said he didn't want to talk about it at all, maybe Kendall wouldn't press him for answers. But he also didn't want to start anything with Kendall tonight-_oh, please God, let them be starting something tonight!_-without explaining exactly who Jett was and was _not_.

"Sorry. That was Jett Stetson. Ex-boyfriend. And current head of the legal department at Diamond Tech. He's also my older brother's best friend, and was mine too, for a while. His dad is my godfather. My mom was his sister's godmother."

Kendall winced. "Ouch."

The guy didn't know the half of it. Hardly anybody knew _anything_ beyond the stupid tabloid stories, because James sure as hell didn't talk about it, not to the media and not even to his friends. But for the first time maybe _ever_, James kinda _did _want to talk about it. Maybe it was the whole strangers-on-a-bus thing, the freedom that comes from not knowing anything about a person. Or maybe it was the way Kendall looked at him, like James' name didn't impress him at all. He wanted Kendall-hell, he'd been half-hard for the guy since the moment he'd spied him across the room earlier. But he found that he wanted Kendall to know about him, too. He liked that Kendall listened.

James drank the last few drops in his glass and met Kendall's eyes. "Another?"

Kendall blinked for a second and hesitated. "Think it's a good idea?"

James shrugged. "Define good." Kendall raised an eyebrow at that, but James propped his elbow on the bar and set his chin in his palm, returning Kendall's skeptical look with a smile. "Seriously! I mean, if you mean good as in wise, then maybe it's not a good idea. But if you mean good as in what would be most fun, then it definitely _is _a good idea. And if you mean what's the easiest and _rightest _thing…"

"The rightest thing?" Kendall snickered, leaning into James' space.

"It's a word, _Donald_," James said primly, using Kendall's hated middle name. "The _rightest _thing, like what your instincts tell you is the right thing to do. And that would definitely be to have another drink. With me. Now. Don't you think?"

James held his breath, watching Kendall's reaction. There was an odd look that crossed his face, but then he nodded slowly, and that funny euphoria hit James again.

He gestured to the woman behind the bar, who hurried over to refill their glasses.

James took a slow sip of the liquid, figuring out where to begin. Sharing had never come easily to him, partly because of who his family was and partly because of his own nature. It didn't help that he could still hear Jett's voice shouting warnings in his head. _What if he's just using you for something? What if he's a tabloid reporter looking to sell your story? What if he's a business competitor looking to steal company information? Don't share too much, or you'll look weak._

He looked at Kendall, at the way the man's shoulders were aligned perpendicular to his own, so fucking warm and solid; at the tiny scar on the upper corner of his lip; at the hint of scruff on his jaw; at the intensely curious look in his eyes, like James was a puzzle he was piecing together and he wanted to get it right.

What had started as simple physical attraction to this man had quickly morphed into something more. He felt strong and totally in charge. He loved the way Kendall laughed at his jokes, like his laugh was rusty and he was surprised to hear the sound coming out of his own chest. It all combined to make his attraction ratchet higher and higher.

So, without formulating an agenda or carefully determining how much he wanted to say, James started to speak.

"You probably know my parents were killed in a plane crash a year or so ago."

Kendall nodded once. He didn't interrupt or offer platitudes, which made James like him all the more, but his green eyes took on a vulnerable cast for a second which made James wonder whether he'd lost someone he loved, too.

James cleared his throat.

"Jett's sister Amelia, who was also my brother's fiance, was killed, too." Kendall's head went back in surprise and James nodded. "Yeah, most people didn't know they were engaged. It was a new thing. Happened only a couple of days before the, ah, crash. All of us-me, my parents, Shane, plus Amelia, Jett, and _their _parents, the Stetsons-were supposed to go celebrate with Deckard Shaw's family."

"Wait, wait. The Mr. Shaw you were talking about before, the one who was best friends with your dad, is _Deckard Shaw_? The senator?" Kendall interrupted.

James nodded. "Yep. Yeah, he was in business with my dad a while back. Thy founded Diamond Tech together, along with Johnathan Stetson, Jett's dad. Dad had bought Uncle Shaw out of the business a while before the crash-I'm guessing maybe so he could use the money to move out of state and fund his whole political thing? But they stayed really close friends."

Kendall nodded, but there was an appraising look on his face which James understood without explanation.

"Yeah. I know what you're gonna say. He's not _quite _as violently conservative in real life as he is on the campaign trail," James said quietly, his finger tracing the rim of his glass.

"Huh," Kendall said, tilting the liquid back and forth in his own glass. "I don't know whether it makes it better or worse that Senator Shaw says all that shit on TV when he doesn't really believe it."

James nodded. He wondered whether his parents would have kept ties with the Shaws if they'd lived. He very much doubted it. Deckard Shaw was a different man these days, and even though James still called him "Uncle," he found it hard to talk to the man for more than a few minutes at a time.

"Anyway, he has this cabin in the mountains of Tennessee. I mean, it's a cabin like Versailles was a summer house, you know?" He rolled his eyes and Kendall snorted. "Huge contemporary monstrosity with lots of steel and glass, but it's got a kick-ass hot tub."

James liked way Kendall looked at him sideways and smiled at that, as if maybe Kendall was picturing him in the hot tub. He felt himself flush and wondered for a second if he should be embarrassed, but he wasn't.

"And then?" Kendall prompted.

James took a deep breath and got to the part of the story that had his arousal fleeing.

"We were all supposed to fly out together in the evening on my parents' plane, but at the last minute, Deckard got tickets for some benefit show that night. Libraries for under-served communities in Tennessee." He chuckled without humor. "Everybody knew Brooke Diamond was all about benefits for every-damn-thing, so you know _obviously _she had to be there and drag dad with her." He swallowed.

Kendall leaned into him, and James sucked in a breath. It was a matter of a couple of inches, but it seemed to speak volumes. _Control yourself, Diamond._

"It's alright to cry, you know," Kendall said softly.

James stared at him. "I don't cry."

Kendall's eyebrows shot up.

"Anyway," James continued. "Deckard made arrangements for them to fly down earlier. Amelia tagged along to do some shopping, and the rest of us were flying later. They crashed into the mountain. There were no survivors. Everyone already knows that part. _An American Tragedy _they called it on the news." James cleared his throat, but it didn't get rid of the lump there. "I should have been on that plane."

"If you'd gone, you'd have died, too."

Kendall's words hit him like a slap and he looked up. The man's eyes were hard, burning.

"Whatever happened that day, you couldn't have prevented it. Maybe _nobody _could have prevented it. But if you were on that plane, you would have died, too."

James nodded. He knew it. Mostly. Maybe he'd have been the one to notice that the pilot had been drinking. Maybe he would have been the only one who wasn't too consumed with the excitement of the engagement and the party to recognize something was wrong.

"I mean it, James. Grief fucks us all up. Makes us think crazy things we know aren't logical. Don't play those games. Nobody on that plane would have wanted it for you."

James cast his eyes to the ceiling and nodded. That much he knew for certain. His parents would have been glad he wasn't there, that he and Shane had lived.

"And that's why you took over the company?" Kendall asked gently.

James glanced at him. "The company was supposed to be Shane's baby. He's the computer genius, you know? My dad had been grooming him to take over for years. But losing Amelia on top of our parents put Shane in a really bad place." He licked his lips and confided, "He's holed up in our house. He tried to hack the NTSB, for God only knows what reason, and it's like he doesn't care if he gets thrown in jail by the FBI. I'm scared for him."

Kendall winced and sat back in his seat, looking uncomfortable. "Damn. And you always step in to take care of him?"

James shrugged. "He's my brother. Of _course _I do. I always will. But as far as the company goes...it was time for me to take on more responsibility, anyway."

"From what you've told me, that sounds like something that would come out of your ex's mouth," Kendall said with a wink. He motioned the bartender to refill their glasses.

James snorted at how quickly Kendall had figured Jett out. It probably _was _something Jett had said, if not in those exact words.

"But now you're all grown up, and you're the president of Diamond Tech. That's gotta be stressful." The words were a tease, but the look in Kendall's eyes and the way he laid a hand on James' thigh, turning him on the stool so they were facing each other fully, made heat surge through James' stomach. "How do you blow off steam?"

James raised an eyebrow at the deliberate flirtation. Was he trying to distract James now that things had become too heavy?

Did James care?

His dick certainly didn't.

"I run," James said blandly, resting his elbow on the bar. "Half marathons. I log probably thirty miles a week."

Kendall's answering smile was genuine. "No shit?"

"Nope. And I play video games."

The way Kendall's smile widened was more arousing than the hand currently caressing James' leg. "Yeah, you mentioned that. Sometimes with one eye closed." He laughed. "Which games?"

"Uh, League of Legends, a couple of first-person shooters. And I'm developing a game with our software team based on a series of YA fantasy novels, which...well…" James shrugged and braced himself for the ridicule, for more of the "Grow up, James," he'd always gotten from Jett.

Kendall grinned in the lopsided way James was already starting to find familiar-_way _too familiar for an acquaintance that could only be measured in hours. "So, what you're telling me is, you shoot people for fun? That's kinda badass."

James burst into laughter. Badass? He's been called that exactly never, but he kinda liked it-and liked it even more because everything about Kendall said his flirtatious flirting hid genuine interest. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this good, or done something for _himself _like this. Kendall didn't want to talk about the Diamond name, didn't seem to care about his job or his bank account, didn't want James to put on some kind of fake persona. He couldn't believe someone like Kendall could be into him this way.

"Yep. That's me. Totally badass and dangerous. I like to shoot stuff online for fun, and I can run far, far away very quickly."

Kendall nodded with mock-seriousness. "Duly warned."

"What about you?" James asked, leaning his elbow against the bar.

"What _about _me?" Kendall asked, his eyes turning a shade more guarded, and despite the way the alcohol and the man were making his brain buzz, James read that as a flashing sign saying _Proceed with Caution_. Kendall didn't want to talk about himself, didn't feel the desire to share the way James did.

So fine. Okay. Strangers at a bar don't have expectations. Keep it casual.

James leaned in closer to Kendall's heat, loving the way Kendall's body responded, the sharp exhalation of breath that warmed James' cheek.

"What do you do to blow off steam?" He asked. Seduction and flirtation were not his forte, but tonight he felt bold.

"Sometimes I like to just scream."

James snickered. "What?" He'd expected to hear...well, something more violent maybe? Something more befitting to the way he'd tensed at a perceived threat. Kendall's entire demeanor blared 'man of action.' But his face held the same sincerity as before, and maybe just a trace of vulnerability.

"True story. I just go someplace alone and let out all the anger, all the frustration, all the shit I've dealt with all day. You should try it sometime. You know, if the shooting thing doesn't work."

James shook his head, amused and charmed. He gave a pointed glance around the room. "Pretty sure it wouldn't go over too well around here."

Kendall grinned. "True. It's harder to find places in the city. Especially in exclusive hotels." His grin turned cagey. "But not impossible, if you know where to look."

James' eyes widened. "You want us," he gestured between them, his hand brushed the hard wall of Kendall's chest in a way that made his own thoughts blank momentarily, "to scream? Inside this hotel? Is the ensuing arrest all part of the fun?"

Kendall laughed.

The sound was so potent and rich that if it could be distilled into liquor, James would happily have drowned himself in it.

When his laughter subsided, he looked at James with affection no less potent than the laughter. If he wanted James to scream right here, right now, he'd do it and damn the consequences. But instead, he stood up and held out his hand. "Come with me?"

It wasn't a demand or an expectation, but an offering. James was vividly aware he knew nothing about Kendall-the Jameson hadn't dulled his thoughts to the point where he could forget it. Everyone wanted a piece of him-his money, his influence, his name on a fucking computer program, and maybe Kendall was no exception.

But for years, everything in James' world had required cold logic, scrupulous planning, and straight paths. Somehow this man, this _stranger_, glowed like a beacon, hot and bright, and James, who had never done a dangerous thing in his life as far as he could recall, had finally found someone who wanted something from him that he wanted to give. He hopped off his stool and set his hand in Kendall's.

"Let's go."

* * *

**Done! So, this chapter was pretty much a big Kames fest! **

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, as well as if you happened to have a favorite part/moment!**

**Again, I hope you all enjoyed! The next chapter will pick up where this one left off, so you'll definitely get more Kames interaction next chapter. For those reading Explosive, the next chapter of that will be up either tomorrow or Tuesday, with an update of Christmas Beautiful more than likely coming Wednesday.**

**Until then! :D**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello again everyone! Welcome to chapter four of Easy! :D**

**Before we get started, I would like to thank everyone that read last chapter! I would also like to give a huge thank you to winterschild11, Side1ways, Guest, and RainbowDiamonds for reviewing!**

**So, this chapter concludes the night of Kames first meeting! I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

_The Jameson has gone to your head, Knight._

Not that they'd had all that much, and what they _had _drunk seemed to mostly burn away when their conversation-the longest and weirdest and _coolest _conversation of Kendall's life-had turned to the crash. But what other explanation could there be for Kendall suddenly finding himself in an elevator standing oh-so-close to James Diamond-the younger brother of a man Kendall despised, and exactly the kind of entitled, rich-kid asshole Kendall had always hated?

Except James wasn't like that at all.

Kendall had come here tonight with only one thing on his agenda-to find James Diamond and do some firsthand reconnaissance. All the evidence suggested that to find Ethan, Kendall needed to score himself an invitation to the Standall's gala on St. Brigitte. But without his FBI connections or any social pedigree of his own, it meant cozying up to someone with an invite, or possibly blackmailing them.

Using the very assholes who'd stolen Ethan's life from him had seemed like poetic justice, and James Diamond was by all accounts the weaker link. So, he'd put together a folder on James with everything from James' impressive SAT scores to the kind of car he drove, but he'd known he'd need a lot more information than that. Tonight's goal had been to figure out what made the younger Diamond tick-what his strengths and weaknesses were.

_Liking _the guy-genuinely, down-deep, _liking _him-had not been part of the plan.

He'd been staring at James' picture for the past few weeks, but weirdly enough, Kendall hadn't immediately recognized the man when he stepped into the ballroom. Maybe it was because the picture was a couple years out of date, or maybe it was because Kendall had been looking for Shane Diamond's kid brother-a short kid with dark hair and freckles or something.

What Kendall had found, when a busty blonde near the door had been helpful enough to point him in the right direction, was definitely _not _a kid. James was all man, and gorgeous to boot.

His jaw was sharp as a knife, and the cleft in his chin was completely lickable-not a word Kendall had ever applied to another man before. His eyes were enticing enough to be noticeable from across the room, and his _lips_. Holy hell. Nice and perfect, like a wet dream come to life.

Yeah, James wasn't built like a tank like some of the guys Kendall had seen, but there was strength in the line of his shoulders and the column of his back. At the bar, James had said he was a runner, and Kendall could totally see it in the fluid movement of James' body and the way his pants hugged the contours of his ass. He'd never felt such an instantaneous attraction before, nor such a fucking inconvenient one.

Kendall glanced at the man beside him as the elevator hit the roof deck. It appeared nobody else had the crazy idea to hang out on the roof this late at night since they had the elevator to themselves.

James' visible tension was amusing and fascinating and arousing as hell, like everything Kendall had learned about the man from the moment they'd sat at the bar, like when James had engaged one of the cleaning staff in a long and cheerful conversation about her family back in Honduras in _fluent _Spanish. He'd quickly realized the James Diamond on paper couldn't hold a candle to the complex, fascinating man himself.

The doors opened, and Kendall ushered James forward, placing a hand on the small of his back. James shivered at the contact, and Kendall felt the same current flow through him. His dick thickened beneath the outrageously expensive suit he'd bought just for tonight, fast and painful enough to remind him how completely off-the-rails this evening had gotten.

He hadn't thought of Shane Diamond at all tonight, except when James was talking about his parents' deaths, and even then Kendall hadn't felt the same burning anger, the same driving need to clear Ethan's name that he usually felt when he thought of the crash.

He'd felt James' pain, confusion, and anger instead, every emotion clearly broadcast on the man's beautiful face.

So even though the trained investigator in him wanted to capitalize on the trust he'd established, to push for more information he could use later, Kendall couldn't bring himself to do it. Some other part of himself, a part he barely recognized, compelled him to offer James something genuine, instead.

They walked through the small elevator lobby, then Kendall scanned his hotel keycard and pushed open the doors to the outdoor pool deck. Though the air was cooler than it had been earlier in the day, it clung to his skin, heavy and damp, like the precursor to a thunderstorm. Every street noise below was nothing but a distant hum, nearly drowned out by the soft gurgle of the water lapping against the edges of the pool. They were cocooned in their own little bubble. It was eerie but beautiful.

"Watch your step," Kendall warned as he propelled James towards the far side of the deck, near the high glass enclosure which provided a stunning view of the city. They looked out over the lights silently for a moment. James drew a little closer.

_What the hell am I doing here?_

But then James finally turned to him, those hazel eyes of his wide and anxious, and voiced the same question, "What are we doing, Kendall?" Kendall didn't make excuses, and he didn't turn to leave. Instead, he slipped off his own suit jacket and kicked off his shoes, setting them on one of the nearby lounge chairs, along with the hated FBI-issue smartphone from his pocket.

"Undress," he told James, whose gaze was focused on Kendall's discarded belongings, as though he wasn't sure where to look.

James blinked at him, then looked around the empty space. "Undress? What, here?"

"Yeah, right here. Right now. You can leave the boxer-briefs if you want. I've been dying to see them anyway." He winked.

James shook his head like he couldn't believe this was happening, but fuck if he didn't start stripping. He began unbuttoning his shirt, his eyes focused on Kendall the entire time, and when the shirt sleeve slipped off his shoulder, revealing his skin-tight t-shirt and tanned, toned arms, Kendall stopped breathing for a moment. Would James show him the same trust if he knew who Kendall really was?

God, tonight would go down in history as the stupidest decision Kendall had ever made, but he didn't care. He'd never wanted anyone or anything the way he wanted James Diamond. So, they'd have tonight, maybe. Just a few hours, until sanity was restored and he remembered all the reasons why he shouldn't like James as much as he did.

Then James took off his shirt, and once again, all rational thought fled Kendall's mind. James glowed in the golden light, all sleek, smooth skin and firm, lean and defined muscles.

The man was gorgeous.

The nicely cut suit jacket and ass-hugging pants had given the impression of lean strength inside the crowded ballroom, but it was nothing to the way James looked in the ambient light: lean, golden, and gorgeous. Kendall's mouth went dry. He quickly shucked his own shirt, socks, and pants, then crossed the short distance between them.

"Take them off," he said, hooking a thumb in the waistband of James' pants. His voice was thick with arousal, and he knew James heard it when he shuddered despite the warm air.

But James backed up a pace.

"Tell me what's happening here first." Any effect from the Jameson had burned off long ago, and James was clearly back in control. For now.

Kendall rolled his eyes and took a step forward. "We're stripping down next to a pool. I figured it was pretty obvious, Badass. We're getting in the water."

James looked from Kendall to the water, and back again. Then he licked his full lips. "What if I don't want to?"

It gave Kendall pause for thought. He had zero interest in forcing the guy into the water if he were genuinely afraid or didn't know how to swim, but…

"You said you were a lifeguard," Kendall remembered.

James raised one eyebrow. "Yes, I was. Swim team, too."

Ah. So not fear then, but a challenge. Kendall's pulse kicked up. "Then get in the pool, Badass."

"I suppose you could make me." James licked his lips once again, a slow and deliberate stroke Kendall could feel in his dick.

"I could," Kendall agreed. He stepped close enough for their chests to almost touch, and James' eyes flared with heat. This teasing-the war of words, and wills, and barely-there touches was torture of the particular variety Kendall liked, and he loved that James seemed to like it too. "I could pick you up right now, push you against the wall, and make you do whatever I wanted. Whatever the hell I wanted, James, and I could make you like it."

James' breathing was erratic.

"Then do it," he demanded.

Kendall pursed his lips. He was tempted, fuck, he was _so _damn tempted. But something told him if he won the easy way, it wouldn't really be a win at all. So he shook his head slowly.

"Not right now. Tonight, I want you to choose to do it. Do it because I asked you. Do it because you want to, and because you want to please me."

James closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, then he opened his eyes and unzipped his pants, letting the expensive fabric pool on the concrete decking. His dick was already semi-hard and pushing at the red cotton of his underwear. Kendall nearly groaned at the sight.

James' eyes flew open.

"So now what?" He asked.

The heat in James' eyes was blinding, his jaw locked defiantly, and Kendall had been trained to see beyond the obvious, and right now he could see the tension in the other man's face, in the twitch of those lips he couldn't wait to kiss.

James effortlessly conjured emotions in Kendall-strange and awesome and totally unwelcome. Kendall wanted to protect him and support him and-

_Fuck_. This wasn't supposed to go down this way. He wasn't supposed to admire or respect James Diamond. He was the enemy, wasn't he? Or at the very least, a tool to be used to help Ethan? James wasn't the only one outside of his comfort zone, and Kendall wondered if he could handle it as well as James seemed to.

"What do you want?" Kendall whispered.

James swallowed hard, like he was gathering courage, then he leaned forward, pressing himself against Kendall. "I...I want you to show me how you blow off steam. It's why you brought me up here, right?"

Kendall smiled. God, the man managed to surprise him at every turn. The feeling of James' hot skin against his own was mind-blowing, and his body was absolutely primed to take James right here and now. But for some reason, his mind balked at the idea of James becoming just another in a line of hard, fast, nearly-anonymous fucks. He wanted to prove something to James, and maybe to himself, and to do it, he needed to regain just a little of his control.

So, even though his body was screaming for him to lean in just slightly, to cup his hand around James' hard jaw, he didn't. Instead, he wrapped his arms around James' waist and lifted him, ignoring the man's shocked gasp, then carried him the few steps to the edge of the pool.

"Remember, you asked for it, Badass," he told James, and then he jumped, sending them both crashing into the warm, clear water.

Kendall kept his hands wrapped around James until they hit bottom, then released him as they both bobbed to the surface a few feet apart and sucked in air.

"You! Asshole!" James sputtered, pissed off and gorgeous. Water droplets clung to his cheeks and spiked his hair, making him look like a startled kitten. Kendall laughed harder than he had in months.

A large splash of water caught him full in the face, choking him.

"Oh, Badass is taking his revenge!" he gasped, still laughing as another burst of water hit him. "Better watch out."

Kendall coiled his muscles and lunged at James, ducking them both under. James came up coughing and spewing curses, and Kendall braced himself for a frontal attack. But a second later, James dived back under, catching Kendall by the ankles and dragging him down.

The sneaky bastard.

They played like that for God-only-knew how long, neither of them willing to yield. They were more alike than Kendall had anticipated.

When they'd both swam apart for a second to catch their breath, Kendall remembered why he'd brought James up here in the first place.

"You wanna see something cool?" he asked.

James raised one eyebrow. "Is this the part where you pull off your underwear?"

Kendall laughed again-God, when was the last time he'd laughed so much? "Dude, when I pull them off, you'll be saying something a lot better than _cool_."

James snorted.

"It's another piece of random trivia for you to add to your stash. Watch," Kendall said. Then he dived under the water and screamed, sending all the air in his lungs rushing to the surface in a cloud of bubbles.

When he resurfaced, James was watching him with a deadpan expression. "You blew bubbles? Wow."

Kendall grinned. "Come down with me this time."

When he dived the second time, so did James, watching him in the glow of the pool lights. Once again, Kendall screamed, but this time he could see understanding dawn on James' face. They both surfaced again.

"You were screaming down there?" James asked breathlessly. "It looked like you were, but I could barely hear it."

Kendall nodded, wiping water from his eyes. "Water doesn't conduct sound the same way as air, so the sound doesn't travel above the surface."

"Oh my God. You're a science nerd?" He sounded shocked and more than a little impressed. Kendall rolled his eyes.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Badass, but that and baking soda volcanoes are about the extent of my scientific knowledge. This is typical kids' stuff. There was a pond down the street, and my brother and I-" Kendall paused and looked away for a second. "My brother and I would sneak down there sometimes to hang out with the other kids. _He _was a physics geek."

"You have a brother, too?"

Kendall nodded, easily treading water.

"Older or younger?"

Kendall hesitated. He never spoke about Ethan-not to Carlos, not to his coworkers, not to anyone-and it seemed especially wrong to speak of him here and now. But it also seemed wrong to lie, or to use one of his million strategies for deflection, so he answered honestly.

"Older."

James nodded, gliding a few feet away. "And you guys were close? What about your parents?"

Kendall could tell James was thinking about his own parents and the dickwad of a brother he seemed pretty fond of, but James and Kendall weren't ever going to have any kumbaya moments where they both reminisced about their awesome childhoods. "My parents are not something I discuss."

"Ah. Got it." James didn't seem disappointed or rejected or whatever, but somehow Kendall felt like an asshole anyway. He just didn't share this shit-_his _shit-with anyone except Ethan, because Ethan had lived it too.

James watched him silently for half a second, then swam closer. His hazel eyes glowed with spooky intensity in the pool lights, and it almost seemed as if he could read Kendall's thoughts. Then he smiled and held out a hand. Kendall reached out and grabbed it, and together they let the water claim them, sinking down to the bottom and screaming their heads off where nobody but the two of them could hear.

A few minutes later, they were floating on their backs, close but not touching, staring up at the stars-or the place where stars _would _have been on a less cloudy night. Kendall had no idea what time it was other than _late_, and he was exhausted. Learning about Ethan, dealing with Clark and Gustavo, everything had propelled him here. His mind was floating the same way his body did.

His hand bumped James' in the water, and without giving it a thought, he tugged until they were floating together, side-by-side. He shifted his head slightly and saw that James too looked more peaceful than he'd been all evening. James turned his head just a little and gave Kendall a look that was both fond and affectionate-as if they'd known each other a million years instead of only a single night, and James trusted him implicitly. A single thought swam into Kendall's brain and took up residence.

_I want to be worthy of that trust._

He instinctively backed away from the thought as soon as it formed in his mind.

It was wrong and stupid. He was loyal to Ethan first, which meant he couldn't be loyal to James. This night had been a messed up, wonderful lie, but it would end the second James knew who he really was. He glanced back up at the sky and felt the first drops of cold rain his face. Their warm, drifting time was over.

He brought his feet down to touch bottom and turned, sheets of water flowing down his chest with a loud splash.

"James, I think-" he began, with every intention of calling a halt to his madness before he risked more than he was willing to lose.

But James surprised him once again. He stood up too, light and shadow playing across his face and the sleek expanse of his chest, and lifted his strong arms to wrap around Kendall's neck.

"It's crazy. It's stupid. This connection can't be real," James whispered, his voice mirroring Kendall's own thoughts. "But for tonight, can we please do things the easy way and _not _think?"

He pressed his lips to Kendall's collarbone, and the heat of his mouth made Kendall shiver. Then he pulled back, his eyes finding Kendall's like he was waiting for approval or maybe..._Jesus_. Permission.

Kendall wrapped his arms around James' waist, locking them together in the waist-deep water. James' breath caught, and lust pooled in Kendall's stomach. He let his doubts and misgivings float off into the gently lapping water as he stared at James' mouth, slowly leaned in, and decided that for _one_ night perhaps they both deserved the easy way.

His lips pressed against James', and then James' parted, his tongue tangling with Kendall's like maybe he thought Kendall needed convincing. Kendall sucked on his tongue firmly, making James moan, and then he was licking inside James' mouth tasting the smoky spice of the Jameson and something more potent which was James' alone. James' hands came up to grab at Kendall's hair, locking them together, but then just as suddenly, he yielded, his lips becoming plaint under Kendall's. The sensation was so heady that Kendall broke away slightly, pulling his lips an inch away from James' to stare at him. Both were panting, Kendall was painfully hard, and he wondered if the easy way just might kill him.

* * *

Kendall pulled open the huge metal fire door and ushered James inside the stairwell with a hand against his lower back.

"Oh my God, it's so cold," James complained. The change in air temperature was messing with his equilibrium, making his stomach clench and his skin break out in goosebumps beneath the rough hotel towels they'd snagged from the pool area. Or maybe it was the man beside him who was causing that reaction? He had no experience to draw from when it came to this.

Not the attraction-_that _was familiar. Sex was familiar, too. Hell, even the reckless need to lose himself for a night, to get out of his own head, was familiar. But the enticing connection between them after a handful of hours, _that _was weird. And the kiss! Holy fuck, that kiss. Kendall licking into his mouth, biting his lip...it had felt more like a possession than simple foreplay, and James had gotten off on it. That was new, too. In fact, the way he was letting Kendall take the lead in all of this was not just weird but _unprecedented_. Guys typically seemed to assume because he was young and preferred to bottom, he must therefore be inexperienced and passive. He had no problem showing them they were dead wrong. So why wasn't he doing it _now_?

_No thinking. Just for tonight._

"Come on, princess, no complaining," Kendall grinned and shifted in front of him to lead the way down the stairs, a towel wrapped around his waist, a rumped ball of clothing and shoes tucked under his arm, and his suit jacket slung over his shoulder. "I'm on the forty-seventh floor. We've got twenty million flights to go."

"Who are you calling _princess_?" James demanded, jumping down the stairs so they reached the landing half a flight down at the same time. He hip-checked Kendall onto the railing as he passed him. "I thought I was Badass."

"Yeah, yeah. Hey! Hold up, Badass," Kendall said, grabbing James by the wrist to pull him back up to the landing. "Don't run down the damn stairs when you're still dripping wet. You'll crack your head open."

James rolled his eyes, even as his pulse started to pound. Kendall was still holding his wrist aloft, like he was proving a point. James dropped the clothes he'd been carrying to the ground and tried to jerk away, but Kendall had leverage, so he couldn't. Kendall's jacket fell off his shoulders in the tussle, and one of the shoes he'd been holding clattered down the stairs. Kendall swore under his breath and dropped the rest of his belongings on the landing next to James'. Then he backed James against the wall and paused, staring at him. It was so quiet their harsh breathing seemed to echo up and down the stairs.

"I'm not a kid and I don't need a babysitter, Knight," James told him.

"Yeah? Then act like it, before I spank that ass."

Oh. _Holy shit! _James felt those words go straight to his dick, but he masked his arousal. "I'd like to see you try. I'm not into that shit. I don't need a...a _Master_, or whatever."

But Kendall just grinned and whispered, "Hmmm. Your eyes tell a different story, baby."

Kendall's voice was so hungry, James could feel it in his chest and he sucked in a breath. _Baby _ was just a word, one guys used all the damn time, and it didn't mean anything. James didn't _want _it to mean anything. Tomorrow, this would all be an amazing memory, and he was going to enjoy it while it lasted.

With his free hand, Kendall skimmed down the plane of James' chest and then around his waist and down, cupping James' ass. "I think you like this a lot, don't you James? I think you want me to own this ass in more ways than one."

James wanted to shake his head, wanted to emphatically deny it, but he couldn't. It seemed like the kind of thing that _should _be wrong. He had never gotten off on power games before, but suddenly he actually was.

"You stay there," Kendall told him, eyes flaring in a way that said James could back out if he wanted, but Kendall really hoped he wouldn't. He lifted James' free wrist and pinned it to the wall, so both James' hands were joined above his head. Then Kendall leaned in and claimed James' mouth again, forcing his lips open.

James' head went back an inch to hit the concrete wall, hard enough to pull a startled _mmmph _from him, although it wasn't painful. Kendall immediately moved his head away, his lips glistening and green eyes glowing with arousal and concern.

"God, James. I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

James didn't answer in words. Instead, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to Kendall's, trying to convey that he was more than okay, he wanted it-the roughness, the heat, the hands against the wall.

It didn't take Kendall more than half a beat to catch on. "Oh, fuck. Yeah? You want it hard, baby? God, you're perfect."

He transferred James' wrists to one hand and skimmed the other down James' smooth chest, flicking over one nipple experimentally. Little jolts of electricity pulsed along James' skin, goosebumps rose on his arms, and he moaned, thrusting his hips forward into Kendall's. Kendall groaned in response, but shifted slightly to the side, denying James anything to grind against, all the while trailing his fingertips up and down James' chest, torturing him with sensation.

_Sadistic bastard. _And the more Kendall drew it out, the more James lost track of reality, falling under Kendall's spell.

He was on fire from head to toe, lust clogging his throat. His dick was rock hard, straining at the still-damp fabric of his boxers, and he needed _friction_. He pulled against Kendall's restraining hand, but Kendall merely squeezed James' wrists more tightly.

_Fuck._

James bucked his hips harder, trying to break the hold, but all he succeeded in doing was making Kendall lift his head and take a half-step backward.

"I said, you stay there, James." Kendall's voice was a harsh, breathless, warning and his eyes were hard as jade as they stared into James'.

"But I want-" James began, and then stopped, his mind flailing. He couldn't articulate what he wanted-it was way too huge. He wanted friction, Kendall's lips back on his, Kendall pushing him against the wall and making him take it. He wanted to _come_, goddammit, and he wanted Kendall to lose his mind, but he didn't know _how _to give up control.

"I know," Kendall said. His voice was soothing, and he leaned forward again, just a tiny bit, just enough to rock his stiffened cock against James'. Their twin moans echoed around the empty stairwell. "I know exactly what you need, but you need to trust me to give it to you. Can you do that, Badass? Just for tonight."

James' breath stuttered. Could he? Kendall rocked against him, his lower lip caught between even white teeth, not like he was tormenting James, but as if he couldn't help himself-as if he wanted James as much as James wanted him, needed James to say _yes _and trust him enough yield control.

_Just for tonight._

James took a deep breath, but it did nothing to calm him down.

"Yes," he whispered.

Kendall's smile was desperate and feral, making James' heart thump out an even faster rhythm.

"Then leave these here," he instructed, squeezing James' wrists to the wall firmly, just once, before letting go completely.

James couldn't have moved his arms down in that moment even if he'd wanted to.

Kendall ran his hands up and down James' arms gently, approvingly. "So hot. So fucking hot, James."

He nipped at James' chin and slid his mouth along James' jaw, the scruff of his stubble nearly painful against James' sensitized skin. Then he bit harder right on the hinge. James whimpered.

"You like it like this, baby? I'm gonna mark you up, make sure everybody who sees you tomorrow knows exactly where my teeth were." His voice was a warm breath in James' ear, ghosting over his damp skin, making him shiver as if he was fevered. Then Kendall's mouth moved to James' neck and sucked _hard_, hard enough to ensure more of those involuntary whimpers came from James' throat, before his tongue lapped over the place he'd sucked, soothing and arousing at the same time.

Kendall's palms came to rest on James' chest once again, then he dragged them down James' sides oh so very slowly, dislodging the towel wrapped around his waist and snagging the band of his boxers, pulling them down over his hips.

Kendall adjusted his hold to squeeze James' hipbones _hard_, as he whispered, "I'm gonna leave my fingerprints on your skin, so every time you look in the mirror, you'll remember who held you, who owned you."

Kendall's palms coasted around to cup James' ass, squeezing and molding the pliable flesh like clay, forcing the tight material of James' boxers to rub against his dick in a way that was almost painfully intense.

"I saw you across the sea of people tonight, and I wanted you," he growled just before his teeth scraped James' collarbone. "I knew I shouldn't. I tried to tell myself I didn't come here for this. But then you talked to me. You made me laugh. And I could no more walk away than I could turn back time. I have never wanted anyone more than I want you, so how could I stop this, James? How was I supposed to stop this?"

James had never been so aroused in his life. He couldn't make any sense of the words Kendall was speaking, only the desperate lust and hint of something else that he couldn't place at the moment thickening Kendall's voice. He had to focus every shred of his remaining control to keep his wrists elevated, to hold his body motionless, to obey Kendall's instructions. His dick was practically throbbing with every word Kendall spoke.

_And he hasn't even touched my cock yet, _James thought desperately.

And then, as if Kendall could read his mind, he bent and slid James' boxers over his straining erection and further down, until they joined his towel and the other clothes on the floor.

"Jesus, James. Look at you." The words were a reverent command, and James immediately looked down. His dick was so hard, upright and ready, it was nearly touching his stomach, and a bead of pre-come had formed at the head.

_Touch me_, James wanted to beg, but before he could form the words, Kendall's hand was back on his body, his fingertips coasting along the tops of James' thighs, moving in tiny circles closer and closer to James' cock. James had to bite his lip to keep from wailing.

Kendall rested his forehead against James', and together they watched as Kendall's hand slid closer and closer, until finally he touched the base of James' cock and slid his fingers up to the head, swiping the moisture with his thumb.

"Is this for me, babe?" Kendall asked, his voice wretched with arousal. He made sure James was watching-as though his eyes weren't already fixed on Kendall's hand like a magnet on true north-and brought that thumb up to his mouth. Kendall groaned, a filthy, gritty sound torn from his throat. "You taste delicious, baby. And I need to have more."

He grabbed James' nearly-numb hands and pulled them down, pinning them to the wall on either side of James' waist with a hard look that clearly said _Keep them there_. James had no plans to move-the blood that had drained from his fingers while he held them up had all been diverted to his dick, and it wasn't coming back anytime soon.

Especially once Kendall sank to his knees.

_Fuck_.

He put his hands on James' thighs, squeezing the muscles there, and leaned forward, licking up James' length with one broad, flat stroke of his tongue. James' head fell back against the wall. The sight and sensation simultaneously were sensory overload-too much for him to handle without losing his mind.

But Kendall wasn't satisfied with that, of course. He gripped James firmly around the base of his cock.

"Look at me. Watch me on my knees for you," he commanded, and James' head swiveled down automatically, obeying the command without ever consulting his brain.

His eyes locked with Kendall's fiery green ones and Kendall licked his lips before taking James' cock in his mouth, swallowing him down in one swift movement. James' moan was so loud it rang off the walls.

Kendall moved his mouth away and glared up at James, the fingers of one hand clamping hard onto James' thigh. "Quiet."

"I can't...I can't help it," James panted. "Kendall-"

But Kendall was implacable.

"One more noise, and this is over." He sounded honestly regretful as he leaned forward and trailed his nose up James' cock. It was only the lightest of touches, the barest tease-enough to make James insane. "I don't want that, baby. And I know _you _don't. You want to make me happy, right?"

Rational thought was so far beyond James' power in that moment, he might have agreed to _anything _to get Kendall's mouth back around his dick, but the truth was, he _did _want to make Kendall happy, as messed up and crazy as it was to feel that way about a guy he'd literally just met. He had no defenses left.

"Yes," he breathed.

Kendall's answering grin was as bright as a flame.

"God, I have never, ever wanted anyone like this," he confessed. "I'm going to take such good care of you. I've got you, baby."

And damn if that thought didn't worm its way into James' chest and attach itself dangerously close to his heart.

But James didn't have time to even think about it, because Kendall's mouth was back, sucking him down deep. One hand wrapped around the base of James' dick to provide the perfect counterpoint to his mouth, while the other reached further back to gently play with James' balls.

The sight of Kendall down on his knees, all that strong will and leashed power focused on James' pleasure, those burning green eyes staring up at him, was the hottest thing James had ever seen. This was his every fantasy come true, but better, _more_, because he'd never known to wish for this. He wasn't just powerful, or cherished, but _necessary_. Like he, James Diamond, was integral to Kendall's survival somehow.

The very idea made him want to moan, to cry out in pleasure, but the weight of Kendall's stare kept his teeth clamped and his throat closed.

_You want to make me happy, right? _

He really, _really_ did.

James was only dimly aware of Kendall pulling down his own underwear one-handed and jacking himself frantically. Tongues of flame were dancing up and down James' spine. He wanted to grab Kendall's hair, wrap those golden strands around his fingers, but he forced himself to sink further against the wall and take it, over and over and over, accepting everything the way Kendall wanted to give it to him.

He was shocked he'd held out so long against this onslaught.

But then Kendall pulled away.

"Say it," he demanded, his voice like gravel while his hands still jerked them bot. "Say you want me to own you."

"K-Kendall," James whispered, his hips were bucking and he couldn't control himself. He was close. So, _so _close.

"Yes, baby. I'm right here. Say it. Say please."

What? What the hell was he… _Oh, right._

The very idea made James' stomach flip. But they were only words, right? This was a game? He wouldn't make this out to be more than it was, attach importance to something that wasn't. Kendall wasn't asking him to be exclusive or anything. It would change nothing. He could say it, and…

"I want it all," he breathed out. "I want you to own me. P-_Please_."

"Fuck, yes," Kendall growled, then he swallowed James down to the root again.

A small cry escaped James' throat then-a cry of absolute surrender. Surrender to this man and the incredible pleasure which was beyond anything he'd ever experienced before.

"Oh fuck, yes. Yes. Kendall!" he cried. He came in pulsing waves, and Kendall drank it all down. Then Kendall jacked himself off and spilled on the floor with a hoarse cry while James could only watch with wide, unfocused eyes.

_Jesus. Fucking. Christ._

Kendall pulled up his boxers and swiped at the mess on the floor with a towel. Then flopping onto his ass, he pulled James down to straddle his lap. James buried his face in Kendall's neck, and the two of them remained sitting for a minute, or an hour, who the hell knew, while their breathing calmed and their pulses steadied.

Two thoughts occurred to James, one immediately after the other. First, it was really freaking cold in here. And second, he was _naked _in a _public _stairway, and literally _anyone _could come along and find them like this.

He sucked in a breath and pushed himself up and off Kendall's lap.

"So, fun time is over, huh?" Kendall asked. He shifted to lean his back against the wall and folded his arms over his chest, his legs still splayed out in front of him and still naked apart from the plain black boxers molded to his thighs. James looked away and began scrambling for his clothes.

"I...it's just...anyone could come and see. I don't want to have to explain what we're doing here," James said. And wasn't _that _the damn truth? The shit he'd just said to Kendall, for God's sake. _Was _there even an explanation, beyond the whiskey they'd drank and the complete lack of judgment Jett was always accusing him of?

So, why the _hell _did he want to do it again?

Kendall nodded but made no move to get dressed, while James hopped around, pulling his suit pants back into place and throwing on his shirt. "I need...I mean, I should probably get home. It's...late?"

Could he be any lamer? He could feel the blush creeping up his cheeks.

Kendall snorted and heaved himself to his feet with a sigh, stepping into his pants and grabbing his remaining clothes into a bundle.

"You can use the bathroom in my room if you'd like," he offered, but his voice was closed off, cooler than it had been all night. A perfunctory offer. As if he knew James would say no.

James closed his eyes and sighed, raking a hand through his messy, damp hair. Just because _he _was freaking out, that was no reason to treat Kendall like shit. He'd never found anyone as easy to talk to as Kendall. He wanted to get to know him.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'd like to," James said. He opened his eyes in time to see shock, surprise, and a trace of uncertainty flit across Kendall's face. "Unless...maybe it's not a good idea?"

Kendall smiled, that lopsided smile that did crazy things to James' insides. "Define good?"

James laughed, and when Kendall held out a hand to him a moment later, he didn't hesitate.

* * *

**Done! So...that escalated quickly. :P**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, as well as if you happened to have a favorite part/moment!**

**Again, I hope you all enjoyed! Like I said earlier, this chapter brings the night to a close, so the next chapter will pick up the next day. I'm not quite sure when that'll be up, but there shouldn't be too long of a wait for that.**

**Until then!**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello everyone! Welcome back to Easy! :D**

**Before we get started, I would like to thank everyone that read last chapter! I would also like to give a huge thank you to winterschild11, Guest, Side1ways, and RainbowDiamonds for reviewing!**

**I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

"Oh. My. God. Please tell me that's not the sun already," James groaned, grabbing the spare pillow from the unused side of the bed and burrowing his face in it.

Kendall, who had been watching the sunrise for at least an hour, stroked his hand up from James' hip to his rib cage. He laughed softly, but he could sympathize with James' feelings because he wasn't ready for the sun to rise either.

He'd hardly slept after they'd made it downstairs the night before, not even bothering to shower or change before stripping off their clothes again and climbing into bed, spooning into one another. The combination of stellar orgasms and a million shots of Jameson had relaxed them both to the point where they hadn't needed to talk or overthink things further, but while James had fallen asleep quickly and deeply, Kendall had laid awake for most of the night.

They'd shared a pillow.

And that wasn't the most intimate thing they'd shared.

The whole night had been like something from a dream, a slice of parallel universe that had been cut out and inserted into this one. It had been phenomenal-everything he'd ever wanted yet never dreamed he'd be able to find. It was also the cruelest trick he'd ever played on himself because he still needed to find his brother, Ethan, the man James thought had caused their parents' deaths. There was no way James would help him. And James would never look at him the same way after he learned the truth.

"If I'm going to be productive today," James mumbled into the pillow, "I need _so _much caffeine. Like, ungodly amounts."

"Ungodly, huh?" Kendall leaned more fully into James, running his nose along the column of James' neck, loving the way the man shivered.

"I suppose there are other ways to wake up," James said, pushing his ass back into Kendall's groin. Kendall's breath caught and he moaned.

"Only one tiny problem with that," he said, biting James' shoulder. "No lube."

It was James' turn to moan, but he shoved the pillow away from his face and turned to grin at Kendall. "Well, fortunately for you, I'm endlessly creative, and I'm almost certain I can think of a way to make do."

Kendall laughed out loud, stroking his finger down James' cheek. "I believe you can, baby."

His laughter died the second James reached for him, stroking his palm along the ridge of Kendall's very interested dick.

"_Fuck_," he groaned.

James laughed. "I'm feeling like this would be better in the shower."

"I'm feeling like I can't imagine how this _could _be better," Kendall said, flopping onto his back and letting James balance above him. He wrapped his arm around James' neck and pulled him down for a kiss, but James tried to twist away.

"Gross! My breath is-"

But Kendall didn't give a shit about morning breath. He lifted his head and cut James off as he met James' lips, parting them with his tongue, desperate for whatever pieces of James he could keep. He couldn't believe how quickly he'd fallen for the guy. Twenty-four hours ago, he'd thought James was his enemy. Twenty-four hours from now, he was positive they'd be enemies for real, and there would be nothing he could do to change it. Ethan had to come first. But perhaps he could have just a few more minutes.

Kendall rolled, pushing James onto his back, loving the way James' legs automatically parted, making room for him. He braced himself, palms to the mattress, and stared down into James' eyes.

"James, I…"

From the heap of clothing on the floor, a phone began to ring. James closed his eyes briefly and swore under his breath.

"Shit. Sorry, that's my brother's ringtone. Just give me a minute, okay?"

He squirmed out of bed, and Kendall flopped onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. He wasn't sure exactly what he'd been about to say, but it was probably for the best that they were interrupted. Too much, _way_ too fast.

James grabbed his phone a second after it stopped ringing, and immediately hit redial.

"He never calls me lately, so I kinda need to take it."

Kendall nodded, watching James as he waited and waited for his brother to answer. Apparently, the asshole was messing around or something, because James tried calling him three times, yet he didn't pick up.

"I mean...he's probably fine, right?" James asked, frowning. He came to sit on the edge of the bed cradling the phone in both hands. "Like maybe he called me by accident, or…"

Kendall pushed himself up to sitting. The moment was lost. He was fairly certain he could get it back easily, just by kissing James, but he wasn't sure whether he should, or even if he wanted to.

"Probably," he agreed.

James turned and looked at him, then back at his phone, disappointment evident in the slump of his shoulders. "Or maybe I should get going and, uh, check on him," he said quietly.

Kendall wondered if James wanted him to argue. He wouldn't.

"I should probably go, too. Do some...stuff," he said instead. Stuff like hitting the liquor store and wishing his own brother would call.

Kendall stood up and stepped in front of James, pulling the man to his feet and kissing him with every ounce of the happiness and need he'd begun to associate with James.

"This has probably been the best night of my whole life," he told James simply. He rested his forehead on James' for a second, cursing his dumb luck and James', then he pulled back. "I'll see you around, Mr. Diamond," he said before walking into the bathroom.

When he turned to close the door, he saw James standing silently, watching him.

* * *

August could be a bitch of a month in Boston. Tourists thought of Massachusetts as the land of apple cider and snowfall, but James had lived there his whole life and knew very well that walking down the street could feel more like _swimming _when the epic humidity of summer hit, which was why he was kicking his own ass as he ran down the block toward the Union Park brownstone his brother called home.

The good news was, he'd sweat out the last remaining drops of the alcohol he'd consumed the night before at some point along the four-mile run from his place in Cambridge. The bad news was, without the lingering, memory-dampening effects of a hangover to distract him, he felt like an even bigger idiot about the events of the previous evening.

He leaned against the short, wrought-iron gate in front of Shane's building and panted, sucking down the last few drops of water from the bottle he'd carried.

Not that he blamed his behavior yesterday on alcohol entirely. Yeah, maybe at first the alcohol helped to make him a little less awkward, a little more accepting, but everything after that had been totally him, from the hot-as-hell control thing to the total fizzle-out at the end.

The gate squeaked as he pushed it open and walked up the path.

God, but the control thing had worked for him in a major way. He'd known people who really got off on that kink, who worked the dynamic 24/7, yet while he'd always sorta been you-do-you about the whole thing, he'd never truly understood the appeal. But for him last night, it hadn't been about the nurturing and constant focus his friends loved about him so much, it had been one hundred percent about the power exchange, about giving control over to someone he trusted. James couldn't remember anything as good, ever.

It had been glorious, but scary too, because it was the kind of thing he could quickly become addicted to, and James got the feeling Kendall didn't do permanent, and James wasn't exactly free of baggage. Case in point, one messed-up, reclusive brother who was apparently hacking the government.

He removed Shane's key from the zippered pocket of his shorts and took in the heavy wooden door. He could knock and give Shane enough time to pretend to be sleeping or showering, or he could walk straight in and see how Shane was _really _doing. Weighing the key in his palm, thinking of his conversation with Jett last night and the unreturned calls this morning, he knew he'd choose option B. He needed to see how bad Shane really was. So, he unlocked the door, taking care to make enough noise that Shane could dive for cover if he was naked or whatever.

He needn't have worried.

The air inside the apartment was blessedly cool-almost too cold against James' damp skin, and though the sun was raising rippling heat waves from the pavement outside, inside it was dark as a tomb. Sitting on the red sofa, not bothering to stand or even turn his head-_and Jesus, I could be an ax-murderer for God's sake_-was his brother. James' eyes popped open in surprise at the sight.

Shane hadn't been right since the crash, he _knew _that. Losing Amelia, losing their parents, it had sent him into a tailspin. During the first couple of months, James had thought maybe things would be okay. And then the stupid NTSB report had come out, giving Shane somewhere to focus his attention, and any gains he had made vanished in an instant.

But he hadn't been _this _bad.

Shane was wearing a pair of baggy, gray cutoff sweatpants and a sleeveless white t-shirt which hung from his thinning frame, both of which looked far too broken-in and wrinkled to be clean. His brown hair, usually carefully styled back from his face, was greasy and lifeless as it flopped above tired hazel eyes. His normally tanned skin seemed four shades too pale, and he stared at the flat-screen television on the wall as if it was somehow speaking messages directly into his brain.

James felt a hum of unease at the base of his skull.

The screen was paused on a television interview which had taken place shortly after the crash. A witness had come forward who'd been drinking with the pilot responsible for the accident, a dark-haired man maybe around James' age. No doubt he'd been seeking his fifteen minutes of fame, and had done a tell-all interview with some bottom-feeder of a tabloid show. It had been short on details and long on speculation, just enough to fire up imaginations and send the media-and Shane-out sniffing for blood.

"What are you doing?" James asked.

Shane turned his head slowly, reluctantly, fighting the magnetic force of the on-screen images. He looked confused to see James there, but then his expression cleared and he became animated.

"Oh, James! Just the person I needed. Look at this man! Who does he look like?"

James blinked. "I don't know? The guy from Grey's Anatomy?"

The glance Shane turned on him was wild-eyed and inpatient. "No, someone we know. Someone we've met before."

"Nobody I know," James said, giving the television another passing glance. "Shane, we need to talk. This shit you've been pulling needs to stop."

Shane shook his head. "This is the key, Jay. The key!" He grabbed the remote from the coffee table and flipped to a different stored video, this one of James' college graduation. He pushed Play.

"I know I've seen this guy somewhere."

"The guy in the interview? Shay, that's hardly likely. He looks like a lot of people." James was trying to be patient, but failing. Shane needed to listen to him.

Instead, his brother chose a different video. An online-news clip about their parents' funeral. James sighed as the reporter recounted the tragedy with barely-concealed excitement. Even a year later, that thread of satisfaction some people enjoyed when talking about the death of an attractive, rich couple and a young, beautiful, wealthy woman drove him bonkers.

James grabbed the remote from Shane and paused the video, then took a seat on the edge of the sofa and forced Shane to look at him.

"Shay. Talk to me. Have you been hacking the government systems in a reckless and obvious way? Is...is this a cry for help? Do you _want _to get caught?"

Shane rolled his eyes impatiently. "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about, Jay."

He reached for the remote again, but James laid a hand on his wrist. "I'm being serious here."

Shane rolled his eyes again. "I know you are. You _always _are. Speaking plain facts without emotion. It's what you do." The bitterness in his tone was like a punch to James' chest.

"What's that supposed to mean?" James demanded, but he knew. He'd talked more about his parents during the past few days than he had in the whole of the past year, but the constant comments about it were really starting to piss him off. Was he supposed to talk about his parents all the time? Parade his emotions around on his sleeve?

Shane opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but thought better of it. "Get out of here, James. I'm busy."

James stood. "Busy? Busy with _what_? When was the last time you came into the office?" Worry and frustration-with Shane, with Kendall, with his whole screwed-up life made his voice unnaturally high-pitched. "Drew is working on the new release without you. Kelly is worried. Uncle Shaw is determined to step in and take over from you."

"We don't need _his _help," Shane muttered, spearing James with a glare. "Absolutely not."

James had been on the exact same page when Uncle Shaw had broached the idea, but now he found himself chafing. How dare Shane have an opinion about _this_ when he refused to have one on anything else?

"_I _could use the help," he taunted his brother instead. "You're obsessed with finding someone to blame, obsessed with the past, but it won't bring anybody back, Shane."

"You think I don't know that?" he demanded.

"Well, then _why_?" James said, throwing a hand up in the direction of the television. "Why spend your whole life communing with the dead when I am _right here _and I need you?"

James snapped his jaw shut. He couldn't believe the words that had tumbled from his lips. All that openness with Kendall last night had made him spill his guts in a way he would _never _have dreamed of a couple days ago.

"Jay," Shane began, eyes quickly softening, but James shook his head. Enough with the emotional rollercoaster. He wanted nothing more than to run himself to the point of epic exhaustion and sleep through until time came on Monday when he _had _to get up and deal with his life.

"Never mind," James told him. "Don't do me any favors." He turned to leave. "Just make sure you eat something, okay? You look like a skeleton."

He glanced up just once before he left, but when he did, Shane's slack-jawed attention was fully focused back on the paused television screen.

* * *

By the time his alarm blared on Monday morning, Kendall had already been awake for hours, staring at the tiny fissures in the plaster ceiling above his bed and contemplating his life choices. He sucked in a breath, let it out in a sigh, and rolled over to grab his phone from the nightstand.

The stupid thing played an obnoxiously peppy song-like Happy Birthday with maracas-and he never could figure out how to change it, but at least it meant he always leapt out of bed immediately at seven a.m., wide awake if somewhat annoyed.

Today, though, he flopped back on the bed after silencing the alarm, and debated throwing the damn phone out his second-story window to shatter on the asphalt below. There had to be _some _silver linings to being _this close _to unemployment for the first time in his adult life, goddamn it. He had a _right _to lie in his bed, still stinking faintly of chlorine because he hadn't bothered to shower all weekend, and he didn't need an alarm going off every morning to remind him he had no job to go to since he was unlikely to get his job back at all, he probably didn't need the FBI-issued pice of crap any longer anyway.

He stood up and stretched, tossing the phone onto his dresser next to his wallet, then made his way through the living room to the little kitchen. His foot swiped a mostly-empty bag of chips sticking out from beneath the couch, sending dull yellow crumbs scattering across the floor, and he grimaced when he accidentally stepped on some, grinding them into the area rug in the center of the room. In the kitchen, he set the kettle on to boil, then turned to stare in disgust at the wreck of his apartment.

The folders of notes piled haphazardly, clothing thrown over chairs, and paperbacks stacked sideways and double-banked on the cheap bookcase didn't bother him at all, though he'd pissed off enough roommates over the years to know he was no picnic to live with. The other stuff though, all the signs of the weekend-long pity-party he'd thrown himself, bothered him immensely.

He had no reason to feel sorry for himself, after all. The food strewn on the coffee table, the mugs of half-drunk coffee and dirty dishes he'd accumulated over the past few days, the stale scents of beer and unwashed human-all that shit reminded him a little too much of some of his childhood homes, and the kind of person he'd sworn he'd never become.

_And all this because James Diamond tied you up in knots. _

It was shameful, it really was. He grabbed a garbage bag and broom and began systematically tidying the living room while he waited for the water to heat.

_What else did you expect would happen Friday night? _he asked himself for at least the hundredth time in two days. And just like every other time, he had no good response. It was a foregone conclusion that James was going to learn the truth about Kendall, that he'd feel like an ass when he did, and that James would never want to speak to him again.

So why did he regret that everything was going according to plan?

Kendall hadn't expected the guy would make him laugh so much, or that James' trust in Kendall would make him want to confide in James, too. He'd never figured the kid in the surveillance pictures would be very much a man, and the hottest one Kendall had laid eyes on in a really long time. Blowing the guy in a stairwell, of all places, hadn't been part of the plan. Neither had the way James responded to his dominance.

_Shit_. Just thinking about it had wound him up again.

But the surprise of the connection and the hot sex were nothing compared to the shock of finding he honestly _liked _James. For a minute there, he'd been second-guessing his careful plan, thinking about coming clean to James and _asking _for his help instead of forcing his hand. A guy who could be loyal to a dickwad like Shane Diamond would understand Kendall's loyalty to his own brother, right?

As the kettle began to whistle, he threw the last of his trash into the garbage bag and made himself a cup of pour-over coffee, tapping his fingers on the counter as he waited.

So, yeah, on some level he'd known all evening long, even as they'd played games at the bar, traded secrets at the pool, and shared their mind-blowing exchange on the stairs, that once James found out who Kendall actually was and why he'd come to the fundraiser, they'd be headed for disaster. But James _hadn't _found out, and things had ended anyway. The air around them had barely cooled before James was grabbing Shane's call-an epic reminder from the universe of why they could never be together. And James hadn't said a word to stop Kendall from walking away, either. It was as if he recognized some essential lacking element in Kendall's makeup-probably the same thing that had made him disposable to everyone but Ethan since the day he was born.

He sipped his coffee, grimacing slightly at the bitter burn in his throat.

_Whatever_. Two days of wallowing was two days too long, and he had a job to do. A job that still involved confronting James and making some carefully-worded demands.

Kendall ran a hand through his hair, then took his coffee to the sofa and sat down, toying with a pen on the coffee table and contemplating the files in front of him. Though he could practically recite all the information by heart, he grabbed the top folder from the stack anyway-the file on his brother-and looked at the picture he'd carefully clipped on top of the page, needing to remind himself exactly why he'd targeted James Diamond in the first place, why he couldn't afford to show the man any weakness.

He winced. Any _more _weakness.

Nineteen-year-old Ethan Schmidt stood in front of the Henderson's one-story house, his broad shoulders hunched, brow furrowed, eyes staring straight ahead as though he was anticipating a fight. Beneath his right arm, was a scrawny twelve-year-old Kendall wearing a T-shirt two sizes too big, and looking up at Ethan as though he was magic.

Kendall snorted. In a way, his brother _had _been magic, especially when Kendall was younger. From the first moment Kendall had been placed with the Hendersons, eight years old and way more pissed at the world than a third-grader should have any reason to be, Ethan had taken care of him. Seven years older and already wise to the way things ran at Craig and Rhonda Henderson's house, Ethan seemed to feel like it was his mission to keep Kendall safe.

No food in the cabinets or the fridge? No worries, because Ethan could find some. The guy who lived across the street, in the house with the boarded-up windows, was eyeing Kendall in a way that made Kendall squirm? Not a problem, because Ethan would get him to stop. If Kendall was sick, injured, confused, or sad, Ethan had always been around to help. And when Ethan's friends asked why Kendall was always hanging around, Kendall remembered the happy thrill he'd get when Ethan would give his friend a look that could kill and reply, "Because he's my _brother_, that's why."

It wasn't until Kendall was sixteen or so that he'd realized exactly how much Ethan had sacrificed to take care of a kid who was no blood relation-the junk food that miraculously appeared when Craig and Rhonda failed to do any shopping was stuff Ethan had _stolen_, the reason Randall across the street had disappeared was because Ethan had _beaten him _within an inch of his life, and the only reason Ethan had stayed in the house after he'd turned eighteen and was phased out of the system, was by working out a deal with the Hendersons where he would pay monthly rent to continue living there- a rent so high Ethan couldn't afford to go to school.

After that, there had been arguments aplenty, about how Kendall was practically an adult and perfectly capable of taking care of himself, _thankyouverymuch_, and how Ethan's decisions were none of Kendall's business, so he should keep his damn mouth shut. But in the end, Ethan had stayed in Johnsville, working as a mechanic at the tiny regional airport, until the day Kendall turned eighteen a month after his high school graduation. And then, while Kendall had secured a partial hockey scholarship to Northeastern, and moved on to various assignments with the Bureau, Ethan had kept his mechanic job and studied for his degree at night before training to become a pilot and getting a job at a charter airline service. It hadn't been a painless process, not for either of them, but as Ethan used to say, "Hard and easy don't matter when there's no Plan B."

Kendall sipped his cooling coffee and flipped the page, feeling a familiar rage churn in his gut as he pulled out the official report of the plane crash where Ethan was believed to have died thirteen months previously, along with Brooke Diamond, David Diamond, and Amelia Stetson. Pilot error, the official cause said. _Ethan's _error.

_An examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector reveals fire damage in the engine compartment. Fuel control feed lines and return lines found to be loose at rear engine fittings above the starter adapter. Probably cause of incident: Loss of engine power caused by failure to properly secure fuel control lines. Maintenance records show the pilot, Ethan Schmidt, had replaced the plane's started adapter eight hours before the incident. Witness reports indicate the pilot had been drinking heavily during the hours before the flight. Heavy fog likely an additional contribution to the incident._

It was all neat, tidy, and official-looking to anyone who didn't know Ethan, who didn't understand how fastidious and responsible he was. It had been especially convincing to Shane Diamond, who'd been looking to point fingers. Kendall sure as hell understood the impulse to handle grief by become angry and lashing out and casting blame-he was a gold-medal all-star at that shit.

But Shane had taken it too far. Because Shane Diamond hadn't merely vented to his friends or talked to his grief counselor, he hadn't had a few too many drinks and thrown out a few careless words at a bar. No, when Shane Diamond had read the NTSB report and gone off the deep end, he'd done it on a public stage. And for a Diamond, for American _royalty_, that was a _very _big stage.

_Grossly negligent_, he'd called Ethan in one article. _Murderously incompetent_, were the words he'd chosen for a television interview. And when the sympathetic host had shaken her head and asked what Shane would say to Ethan if he could have the opportunity, he'd looked directly into the camera and said, "I hope he and his entire family rot in hell." Naturally, reporters had jumped on the story, digging into every aspect of Ethan's private life. And the bastards hadn't cared about the innocent people who'd been caught in the crossfire.

It was how they'd found Ethan's asshole of a father who, for the right price, had been happy to dish about Ethan, along with Courtney, the twenty-year-old sister Kendall was positive Ethan had never known about, and her three-year-old daughter Chelsea.

Kendall tapped his pen against his thigh and turned the page again. Ethan had never talked about his life before the Hendersons, even to him. Since the bits and fragments Kendall recalled about his own life before foster care generally turned his stomach to think about, and he wasn't the one to share personal shit at the best of times, Kendall had understood this. But it meant he had to wonder whether Ethan had ever known his father had sired another child. Given the way Ethan had protected _him _all these years, he was pretty sure the answer was no.

The idea that Courtney and Chelsea would never know Ethan was just one more level of loss, added to Kendall's already overwhelming grief of his brother, whose remains had never even been recovered from the mountain, for the love of God, and anger at the way Ethan was being demonized by Shane's pet reporters. Kendall's own overtures towards the girl had been completely rebuffed, and he had felt more alone than ever.

And then, just six months ago, the first package had arrived.

A random box of Twinkies arriving in the mail might not be a heart-attack-inducing moment to anyone else, but for a kid who'd never had a birthday cake until his teenage brother had stuck a candle in a Twinkie one time and told him to make a wish, receiving the box of treats _on his birthday_ was like receiving a message from beyond the grave. Kendall had never told anyone about the Twinkies, so what the hell could this mean but Ethan was still alive?

Then, newspaper clippings began arriving. Old-school, the way Ethan knew Kendall did things, no computers involved. Roughly once a month to begin with, but at other times more frequently, once or even twice a week. Kendall had collected articles which ran the gamut from fluff pieces on the rise and fall of David Diamond to business reports of Diamond Tech stock having plummeted before Shane Diamond took over the development reins and James stepped in as president.

He'd pored over a picture of James and Shane at their parents' funeral, flanked by Senator Deckard Shaw and his entourage. He'd encountered dead-end after dead-end trying to trace the witness who'd seen Ethan drinking before the crash. He'd slogged through multi-page articles cut from tech journals reporting on new technologies, and rolled his eyes at political pieces on special interest hobbies and military spending. He'd pored over every article as though they were fragments of a puzzle, trying to figure out the hidden meanings, trying to twist them into a clear picture of whatever Ethan was trying to tell him, but one consistent theme had emerged: _Diamond, Diamond, Diamond._

What he'd found during his investigation was that James was at the helm of the company, while Shane had become a near-recluse who disappeared for weeks at a time, only emerging to continue dragging Ethan's name through the mud at every opportunity, or hack government computers without repercussions.

It had been an easy leap from there to see what Ethan was pointing out. If Ethan himself hadn't caused the accident by failing to inspect the engine, then someone else must have sabotaged the plane. Who would profit from the death of David and Brooke Diamond?

Shane and James.

Kendall had pretty much ruled out James even before his dick had become involved Friday night, and nothing about his quiet strength or reluctant assumption of authority suggested he could have set the events in motion that killed his parents. So, Shane must have been involved.

And wouldn't James love to hear that, coming from Kendall?

Kendall squeezed his eyes shut at the idea of causing James that much pain. And he would never believe it, not until Kendall had concrete proof, so Kendall would wait to share that information until James could easily draw his own conclusions.

Not for the first time, he wished he could call Ethan and consult his brother.

It wasn't lost on him that Ethan hadn't called to ask _Kendall's _opinion on the case over all these months, or to chat about Kendall's life and mental state. And he recognized that he was essentially duplicating Ethan's work, double-checking all the conclusions Ethan had already come to. Why couldn't Ethan call him, even anonymously? Why not send a letter of explanation? Why wait until nearly six months after the accident?

He shoved the papers back in the folder along with all the newspaper clippings which had fallen out before placing the whole stack of folders into his briefcase. He took his coffee cup to the sink and washed it carefully-_look at me, being responsible and not pitiful_-and then headed for the shower.

He had no clue what his brother was doing, but he knew Ethan was smart and would have faith in Kendall's loyalty. So Kendall had set up a facial recognition scan and waited patiently for months, until the previous week when the pieces finally began to fall into place.

The first, another anonymous envelope, had arrived on Monday containing an outdated travel brochure from a tiny island called St. Brigitte. Google had told him the island was once semi-private, but was now owned entirely by the Standall family, who used it to host enormous fundraising galas like the ones the Diamonds always attended. And a quick (nausea-inducing) glance at a well-known Boston society blog had told him the next such event, the Standall's end-of-summer party, was coming up.

The second breakthrough was on Friday morning, when Ethan's face had been captured at the largest commercial airport near St. Brigitte. Ethan would be on the island, Kendall had no doubt, so he needed to get there too. And whether James liked it or not, he would be Kendall's ticket.

Kendall took the fastest shower known to man then threw on a suit and tie. He grabbed his phone, wallet, and lucky quarter from the dresser, collected his briefcase from the coffee table, then headed for the door before he could reconsider his plan.

Ethan was counting on him. He would not betray his brother's trust for a love affair which could only end in tragedy.

* * *

**Done! So, we were introduced to Shane this chapter, and also got a bit more backstory on both Kendall and Ethan. It also looks like things will get pretty complicated between Kames soon.**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, as well as if you happened to have a favorite part/moment!**

**Again, I hope you all enjoyed and that you all had an amazing Christmas! :) The next chapter of this most likely won't be up until next week some time.**

**Until then! :D**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello everyone! New chapter alert! :D**

**Before we get started, I would like to thank everyone that read last chapter! I would also like to give a huge thank you to winterschild11, Side1ways, Guest, and RainbowDiamonds for reviewing!**

**I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

"You've got lunch with Skylar in R&D, followed by a two-thirty call with Devon Franklin from Philadelphia about the issues with the Genesys launch. I've set up a highlights file on the server, but just so you're aware, Devon assumes you've spoken with Shane at length on this issue and are speaking on his behalf." James' administrative assistant, Kelly, glanced up from her tablet. "And then at four-thirty, you're meeting with Colleen from Finance. Shouldn't take more than a half-hour."

James nodded robotically, tidying up his desk.

"Then tonight, the aliens are coming. I'm unclear about whether it's a full-scale invasion, or if they just want to take you back to their pod to further study. Shall I put _that _one on your calendar?"

"Of course," James replied on autopilot, barely hearing her. "Sounds great."

Kelly set her tablet down on the desk, knocking his stapler askew, and James glanced up to find her sitting back in her chair opposite him, staring at him.

"Is there a problem?" he asked.

"I think that's my line, Mr. Diamond."

James rolled his eyes. "James, Kelly. _James_. Mr. Diamond was-"

"Your dad," she finished impatiently. "Yes, I know. I worked for the man for years, James. It's also _you_."

Right. Yes. In the most technical sense. But in his father's old office, it just didn't feel right.

He cleared his throat and waved a dismissive hand through the air. "Everything's fine. I've already started going through the designs Camille sent over, and should have them all approved by lunchtime."

Kelly nodded. "Of course you will. You always get things done."

It was a simple statement, but the way she studied him after she had spoken suggested she knew how much he needed to hear it.

"Have you slept?"

He forced himself not to roll his eyes again.

"Of course." _A few hours Saturday night, a couple last night. _"And I ate all my vegetables and brushed my teeth, too." _And drank my weight in alcohol, had sex with a total stranger in a stairwell, and went back to his hotel room and slept better than I have in a year._

Kelly was completely unperturbed by his snark. "I ask because you look like you were ridden hard and put away wet, as my mother used to say."

"No. I'm fine." He moved Kelly's tablet forward an inch and put his stapler back in position.

"You could call Doctor Patterson," she reminded him, and James sighed.

"Kelly, I promise I don't need an emergency session with my therapist. I had way too good a time at the gala Friday, drank a little too much, stayed up too late, and it's taking me a little while to recover. Otherwise, I'm fine."

"You're sure?"

"Positive." James lied emphatically.

Kelly nodded before grabbing her tablet from the desktop, tapping a few boxes. "Alright, then. Jett called and asked if you were free for coffee around ten today."

James looked up sharply. "And what did you tell him?"

"I said that I wasn't sure of your schedule, though he was very insistent."

_Shocker. _James had ignored seven calls and three dozen texts from an increasingly-irate Jett over the weekend, but of course, the man knew exactly how to find him at work.

He didn't have the focus to deal with Jett this morning, not after the long and sleepless weekend he'd had. And though he had a million _real _things to worry about, he'd be lying if he said it wasn't memories of Friday night that had kept him awake. His instincts had told him Kendall was with him every step of the way, his green eyes locked on James, glowing with arousal, but the way Kendall had walked away called those instincts into question.

Had James talked too much? Should he have volunteered a little less about what a total nerd he was? Was it weird and disgusting how much he liked it rough and wanted to be dominated?

He _hated _questioning himself this way.

Any way you sliced it, he had nobody to blame for his misery but himself, and the last thing he needed was Jett Stetson driving that point home.

"Right. Well, when he calls back, you can tell him I already have a meeting scheduled after all."

"Alright," Kelly said dubiously.

"Kelly," he warned, sitting forward in his chair. "Seriously. You are my only hope. Do not fail me on this. You just went over everything on my agenda today, and the last thing I need is Jett barging in and making himself at home in that chair while he tells me all the ways I could be doing things differently and therefore better."

She raised one eyebrow and pursed her lips. "You should tell him that."

James snorted. "_Right_. Tell him to mind his own business and stop trying to tell me I'm incompetent. That'll go over well. Do you do family counseling as a side job?"

Kelly threw her hands up in defeat. "You three boys will be the death of me. I watched you all grow up together, thick as thieves, and now I'm seeing you tear each other apart. _You _are so convinced you don't deserve your job, you won't look up and see exactly how well you're doing and how valuable you are. _Jett _is so devastated about Amelia and Shane and his parents' divorce, he's determined to take care of everyone he has left, even if he smothers you all to death in the process. And _Shane_…" She hesitated.

"Oh, don't stop now," James told her, folding his arms across his chest. He smirked. "This I want to hear."

"Fine," she said, raising her chin defiantly. "Shane is so damn guilty he _lived_, he's determined to kill himself one way or another."

_Direct hit_. James' stomach bottomed out and his smile died immediately.

Kelly closed her eyes and gave a slight, rueful shake of her head. She stood, clasping her tablet to her chest, and picked up his empty coffee cup. "I'll get you more coffee Mr. Diamond," she said softly.

James nodded, accepting the peace offering. All the coffee in Boston wouldn't bring the world into focus today, but he'd give it a decent try.

He tried to focus on the new designs for their virtual reality program which could help pediatric neurosurgeons, but a commotion out in the lobby caught his attention. Kelly was talking to someone out there-through the open door, he could faintly hear a voice arguing with her. He checked the time on his phone. _Nine forty-five_. Probably Jett, goddamn it, not bothering to call back to check and simply assuming James was free.

He hesitated, girding himself mentally. If Jett was so worked up he was harassing Kelly, James shouldn't put off this meeting any longer.

_Polite but firm NO. Polite. Firm. NO._

"Kelly, send him in."

Her head appeared in the doorway, and she frowned. "But Mr. Diamond, he doesn't have an appointment."

James sighed and minimized the design specs on his computer. "I know. And he really should, but it's okay. Maybe offer him coffee so he's not quite such an asshole while he's here."

"I'm hardly ever an asshole." the voice in the doorway joked, and even before he turned, James' heart gave a traitorous leap.

Kendall stood in the doorway next to Kelly, looking better than James had allowed himself to remember. His blond hair was slicked back a little, a well-cut navy suit emphasized his lean body, but it was his face with its intense green eyes and secret smile which had James entranced.

"Mr. Diamond, this is highly irregular," Kelly complained. "I'll get Mr. Stetson down here immediately."

James pulled his gaze away from Kendall and raised an eyebrow. She seemed flustered, and Kelly was hardly ever flustered. What in the world would they need Jett for?

He stood and walked around his desk.

"That won't be necessary, Kelly," he said, coming to take the coffee from her hand. "Kendall and I have already met."

Her brow furrowed. "You've _met_?" she said, wide-eyed with confusion. "But...are you sure? Mr. Stetson sent out a memo."

James blinked. Jett had sent out a memo about Kendall?

Kendall cleared his throat and drew James' attention once more.

"I'm good, Kelly," James told his assistant, ushering her out the door. "Do _not _call Jett. My earlier instructions still apply."

"Yes, Mr. Diamond," she sighed, and he shut the door behind her.

James took a second to compose himself before he turned around to face him. _Kendall had found him. _James had no idea what it meant, but his heart was pounding unsteadily and he felt hope bloom in his stomach.

Perhaps Kendall wanted more than one night, and James would have a chance to redeem himself. Maybe he ought to have a little more faith in himself, in other people, and trust his own instincts.

"So, I guess you weren't a figment of my imagination, huh? I wasn't sure after Saturday morning. I didn't get your number." James said as he turned and leaned back against the door, unable to stop himself from smiling. Kendall was close by, a few feet away, and the same electric current which had zapped between them on Friday crackled. _Didn't imagine that zing. Nor the way he smells of oranges and Christmas, either._

James' body reacted to the scents almost instantly, his stomach heating, tightening, clenching. _Down boy._

Kendall looked him up and down, his lips pressed together as if he was fighting memories too, but he wasn't smiling this time. His eyes looked troubled, and he didn't seem to have had any more sleep over the weekend than James.

"No, it was definitely real," he said, but then he looked away. "But we need to talk."

James frowned. God, he was beginning to hate that phrase. Nobody ever said it when they had good news to relay. Plus, Kendall's voice was off. It wasn't warm and open, but crisp and businesslike. For the first time, James noticed Kendall was carrying a briefcase. Instinctively, James pushed off the door and walked back around his desk, needing the physical distance.

_He wants something from me._

_Of _course _he does._

Bone-chilling cold replaced the heat and hope he'd felt earlier, and he heard the voice in his head, taunting him. _Did you really think he was interested in you? Grow up, James. _Kendall was gorgeous, daring, witty, sexy-as-hell and completely out of his league. As quickly as hope had bloomed in his chest, it now withered.

"How may I help you, Mr. Knight?" James asked as he took his seat, scooting his chair under the desk. He schooled his features in much the same way he did when talking to the board or the media. He gestured to the chair in front of his desk that Kelly had recently vacated and scooted his stapler a mere quarter-inch to the left.

Would Kendall blackmail him? Recalling everything he'd divulged Friday night, the things they'd done together, the pain in his heart and the shame in his gut were almost paralyzing, but one worked to cancel out the other. He couldn't sink into the floor while adrenaline was buzzing through his bloodstream.

Kendall seemed slightly startled by his businesslike tone, but recovered quickly. He strolled toward James' desk and James watched as he took his seat. _I will not notice his body, or his eyes, or the way he moves his hips like a wave rolling over the beach._

How could he be so scared, pissed, and turned on all at once?

"Actually, I think the better question is how may I help _you_?" Kendall set his briefcase on the floor.

"Oh, dear God. You sound like a bad salesman or a politician," James blurted. "I'm not contributing to your campaign, but I'd be delighted to tell your constituents that your oral skills are absolutely incredible."

Kendall laughed, and then stopped as though he'd surprised himself.

James remembered him doing that the other night. It had seemed so cute at the time.

Kendall sucked in a breath, and James dug his fingers into his thighs beneath the desk. Whatever Kendall was going to say was going to break him, he could feel it.

"I didn't introduce myself fully the other night. I'm _Agent _Kendall Knight."

"Agent. Like...Secret Agent?" James' heart raced.

"Like, FBI Agent." Kendall reached into his jacket pocket and produced a business card which he slid onto James' desk. James didn't even glance at it as his stomach somersaulted.

_You fucking liar! _He wanted to scream. But no, Kendall hadn't lied at all, had he? He just hadn't told the whole truth. He'd let James spill all his secrets, like the most trusting idiot on earth, and had barely given any information on his own life. Hadn't volunteered that he worked for the FBI.

And then realization struck.

The FBI, who might be investigating Shane for hacking a server...Jett sending a memo out on Kendall...His mind churned trying to recall exactly what Jett had said the other night and how much he had revealed to Kendall, and just how thoroughly he might have just screwed up Shane's life. James had wanted one night of _easy_, but he'd forgotten the simple truth-nothing in life came easy. There was always payment required.

"Alright," James said, striving to sound bored even as his heart was beating out of his chest. "And?"

"And…" Kendall toyed with James' stapler, twisting it over and over in his hand-those hands which had been _on _James just two days ago. James shuddered. "I think you're already aware from the letter we sent, there are some concerns about illegal activities. Your brother didn't answer our request for an interview."

"I heard about it from our legal team. I understood the FBI had chosen to not pursue an investigation."

James stared at Kendall who didn't meet his gaze. His jaw was hard. "The FBI chose not to pursue an investigation _at this time_." Kendall's eyes flitted to James' "It's always subject to change."

And here it came.

"Ah. So, what is it you want?"

Kendall shrugged, his voice tight. "It's simple, really. We'd like your assistance with a different investigation." He set James' stapler down exactly where it had been and bent to retrieve a single paper from his briefcase. "Do you know this man?"

He set a photograph in front of James. It was a shot taken from above, like through a surveillance camera. It showed a man with shoulder-length blondish hair and a scruffy beard, dressed in cargo shorts, flip flops, and an old-school heavy metal T-shirt. He was completely unfamiliar.

James shook his head. "Should I? He looks like a surfer. One with dubious musical taste."

Kendall's head shot up. "Hey, Slayer is good shit."

"If you say so."

"I do."

"Then _you _have dubious musical taste, too." James snapped, sitting back and crossing his arms over his chest. The effort of holding himself steady, of distancing himself from Kendall, was physically painful. "What does this have to do with Diamond Tech?"

"Not a thing," Kendall told him. "The assistance we need will come from you, personally."

There was _nothing _sexy in the way Kendall's voice had dropped at the end of that sentence, and James did _not _feel an answering tug in his dick.

"I'm not sleeping with you," James blurted. He could feel the blush spreading over his cheeks, even as Kendall shook his head.

"That's not what this is about," Kendall said. His eyes were hot on James', and James wanted to ask what Friday night had been about, for God's sake, but he wouldn't. He had _that _much pride, at least.

James licked his lips. "Start talking, then. And be specific."

Kendall nodded and tapped the picture. "This image was taken at an airport in Barbados, and we have reason to believe the subject was headed to a small Caribbean island called St. Brigitte." He lifted his gaze to James'. "We need access to the island in order to find this man and question him. We can't alert the Standalls without arousing suspicion, and the subject is a flight risk."

"Is he dangerous?"

"He has never harmed anyone in his life," Kendall said with so much conviction that James stared in surprise.

Kendall cleared his throat. "We need your help to get an investigator on the island during the Standall's party this weekend. Only to question him."

James frowned. "Did you overhear my conversation with Jett the other night? I told him, and Lydia Standall, I'm not going."

"I was slightly distracted Friday night," Kendall admitted. "But you might want to reconsider."

Jesus Effing Christ. The whole world was conspiring to get him on that damn island, when the very thought of flying in even a small plane-the only type which could fly to St. Brigitte-made him break out into a cold sweat.

And yet, James had to consider it for Shane's sake. His brother was the only real family he had left and was so emotionally on-edge right now, so close to a total meltdown, James couldn't afford to take any chances. He couldn't dodge the feeling that Shane must've been _trying _to get caught, as though maybe guilt was steering him in a whole new twisted direction. Was an FBI investigation-even one Jett felt wasn't a big deal-the straw that would finally make Shane crack?

Still, he wasn't going to fall in line without more information. "I'm sure the FBI has planes that could fly you out there."

"Yes, but no authorization to land without giving the Standall's a reason."

"And that would alert this guy?" James gestured to the photo.

"Yes."

"So you not only need me to get you there, you need me to give you a cover story."

Kendall nodded slowly. "I'll need to go as your date."

And suddenly the entirety of Friday night made sense. Kendall had wanted to ensure people saw them together, to make the ruse less obvious, and maybe make James more amenable. Anger and disappointment churned in his gut.

_I trusted you! _He wanted to scream.

He needed to get Kendall out of his office before he did something completely inexcusable, like cry.

James stood, signaling the meeting was over. "Fine. I'll have to talk to my attorneys, Mr. Knight. I mean, _Agent _Knight. I'll get back to you." His hands were clenched into fists down by his sides, and it was too much to expect of Kendall not to notice.

Kendall glanced at James and hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "Time and secrecy are crucial here. Nobody can know besides the two of us. This offer is off the table once I leave this room." He paused, then continued in a rush. "The choice is yours, James. I...I can't say for sure whether we would choose to pursue a case against your brother even if you decided to say no." He looked at James, _really _looked at him, as he had two nights before. "But I am _begging _you, please, to say yes."

James turned away and looked out the enormous window behind his desk. Boston was shimmering in the morning sunlight, but he could barely see it. Neither choice was good. Or, no, neither choice was _easy_, he realized ruefully. _Decide quick, James. Your fear, or your brother's life?_

"And you can guarantee if I agree, Shane won't be prosecuted?"

"It's not a get out of jail free card, but I can assure you he won't be prosecuted by the FBI for this particular crime, no."

The logical part of James' brain-the part which was shoved back into the tiniest corner of his mind whenever Kendall walked into the room and James' dick took over-reminded him the smart thing to do would be to call Jett. Was this whole scheme even legal? But it would mean admitting that Jett was right and the guy Jett had seen him chatting with on Friday night had been conning him all along.

And really, how amazing would it be if he _could _get to St. Brigitte? He'd prove to Jett and to himself that he _wasn't _weak. He'd do his duty as a Diamond and a representative of Diamond Tech and would show up at the gala with Kendall as his arm candy. He could take control of this situation, redeem it completely. All he had to do was...fly.

The very idea made him nauseous.

Still, he turned to Kendall and nodded once, firmly. "Fine, then. We'll do this your way."

Kendall blinked, almost as though he hadn't expected James to agree, but he recovered and nodded smoothly. "Alright, good. That's very...good."

"I'll have my assistant make the arrangements and email you about the dress code," he said, grabbing Kendall's business card from the desk for the first time.

"Dress code," Kendall echoed. "Right."

"We'll leave on Friday afternoon since the first cocktail reception is usually in the early evening." He grabbed his phone and entered Kendall's contact information, making a note to have Kelly check the schedule of events for the party. "If you're going to be my date, we'll need a cover story. Who you are, that sort of thing. You can email or text me whatever you come up with."

"I don't text. Or email."

James glanced down at him. "You do if you're going to be my date."

Now Kendall scowled. "Can't we talk on the phone?"

James snorted. "No. We're not at that stage in our relationship yet."

"I've had your dick in my mouth," Kendall reminded him angrily.

"That was before I realized you were sucking me off for a _purpose_, Knight. You're very dedicated to your job," James sneered. "Your superiors must be so proud."

Kendall flushed and got to his feet, storming around the desk. "That had nothing to do with this."

"Oh, no? Well, I think you have to agree, as circumstantial evidence goes, it's pretty fucking strong. What's your expert opinion on that, _Agent Knight_?"

Kendall crowded him against the window, and James' hands flew to his sides as Kendall crushed their chests together. "My expert opinion is...you need to be taught some manners."

James' breath caught, his anger forgotten for a mere second under a tidal wave of lust. _Yes, yes, yes!_

"No," he said, shoving Kendall back a step. "This...thing," he gestured between the two of them, "is not happening again. It's non-negotiable."

"This..._thing_," Kendall drawled. "Like when I ordered you to keep your hands against the wall, and sucked you off in a stairway? In a stairway where _anyone _could have seen us and you got off on it completely? Like me making you come so hard I can still taste you on my tongue? Is _that _the thing you mean, James?"

James ground his teeth together. "I mean Friday night's _momentary lapse in judgment_, which is probably how I'm going to characterize my entire interaction with you."

Kendall smiled, hands on his hips. "You say the sweetest things."

But James refused to let him pass this off as a joke. His voice was controlled and deadly serious when he spoke. "Friday night, I thought you and I had something special. Obviously, I was dead wrong."

James swallowed, his throat suddenly dry as he watched Kendall's eyes track the motion.

"I understand now that I was an idiot," he continued, his voice barely a whisper. "I knew better...I _knew_, and I fell for the delusion anyway. I won't make excuses. I shared things, _personal _things I had no business sharing. That was _my _mistake. I own that. But I am not going to make the same mistake twice. I don't know a thing about you, and I don't want to, because I sure as hell am never going to trust you again. As a matter of fact, you can go to hell for all I care."

Kendall blinked and his jaw worked. There would be no more commands, no more submission.

"I didn't lie to you. I made sure I didn't lie to you," Kendall told him, and it sounded shockingly like an apology, but it wasn't good enough.

"That's tremendously comforting. You misled me, and I won't pretend to understand why or what you thought you'd accomplish by getting me to have sex with you-"

"I told you," he interrupted gruffly. "That _wasn't _part of the plan. I got caught up in things just like you did."

James shook his head. How gullible did the man think he was?

"And _I _told _you_, I don't trust you. So, here's how this is going to work, _Donald_. I agree to your stupid blackmail bullshit, and we are going to that damn party." He swallowed down the bile rising in his throat at the thought. "You will be my date, I will take you to the island." He paused. "Do you understand? You _win_. You got what you wanted from me, made me like an idiot, _and _you got me to agree, so congratulations. You don't need to con me anymore. Don't pretend to be my friend or to have any interest in me beyond what I can do for you. In fact, for God's sake, don't talk to me at all."

He stepped away from Kendall-from the overwhelming heat and presence of the man-ignoring the mix of emotions on Kendall's face as he walked to the other side of the office, throwing open the door.

"Kelly," He called to his assistant. "Change of plans."

* * *

**Done! So, it looks like Kendall's secret is out!**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, as well as if you happened to have a favorite part/moment!**

** Again, I hope you all enjoyed and that you all had a great weekend! Not quite sure when the next chapter will be up, but it'll more than likely be either next weekend or early next week!**

**Until then! :D**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hello again everyone! New chapter alert! :D**

**Before we get started, I would like to thank everyone that read last chapter! I would also like to give a huge thank you to winterschild11, Guest, Side1ways, No-Emotions-To-Cry, and RainbowDiamonds for reviewing!**

**I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

James walked out to the subway on Monday evening, clutching his phone in his hand. He'd received a terse email from Kelly-who was likely annoyed James had done a complete one-eighty on his plans for St. Brigitte and refused to explain the change-saying he needed to follow up with Kendall about his tuxedo. Of all the stupid, domesticated bullshit things to have to text about.

He pushed his way through the barrier and found an empty spot against the grimy wall on the platform.

_**James: **__Agent Knight, my assistant Kelly asked me to inform you that she emailed you a copy of the weekend itinerary earlier today and you didn't reply. If you'd like her to provide you with a tuxedo, which is required for Saturday night, please reply to her with your sizes._

There. He praised himself for being businesslike and not allowing the anger and hurt still competing in his brain to spew out onto the screen. Dealing with Kendall would be like dealing with a member of the board from now on. Polite and remote.

_**Kendall:**__ I got hr emial told you earlier today i dont text hate typing from my phone its old an keyboard on scrn is small_

It was not cute. It was _not _cute.

_**James: **__Sounds like a personal problem. Do you need the tux?_

_**Kendall: **__yes plz i will send the infod_

_**James: **__Jesus, this is painful. Did you know if you turned your phone to the side, the keyboard is larger?_

_**Kendall: **__Oh. This is much easier._

_**James: **__Welcome to 2019. It's almost over. _

_**Kendall: **__Whatever. _

He would not be swayed by the fact that text-Kendall was every bit as sweet and funny as in-person Kendall, without the same electric intimidation factor he had in real life.

_I hate him_, James reminded himself firmly. _Hate._

The hate carried him home and stayed with him as he forced himself on the couch with a new mystery novel, but couldn't force himself to concentrate.

He was hurt, seriously hurt. It was partly wounded pride, but it felt like..._more_. He felt stupid, like the control he thought he'd been giving Kendall had never really been his to begin with.

His phone buzzed from the side-table.

_**Kendall: **__Patriots pre-season is on. Are you watching?_

James ignored him. Whatever trick Kendall was playing now, he could play alone.

_**Kendall: **__Never have I ever seen a red sox game._

_**James: **__I'm not playing this game with you._

_**Kendall: **__Your excitement is palpable. CONTROL YOURSELF._

James found himself smiling and forced his lips to frown instead. God, why was he so weak with this guy?

_**Kendall: **__I'm not much of a baseball fan personally. I used to watch football every week with my brother, though._

_**James: **__I think you've forgotten how to play this game._

_**Kendall: **__Nah. If you're talking to me, I'm winning._

James rolled his eyes. _Yeah, right._

_**James: **__Are you drunk?_

_**Kendall: **__No. Why?_

_**James: **__Goodnight, Donald._

XxX

James stared at his phone as it buzzed on Tuesday evening. He'd just sat down to re-watch an old season of Supernatural and was massively annoyed with himself. Kendall hadn't texted all day-which was great, totally great. Exactly what James had wanted. They'd do the thing this weekend, and then they wouldn't ever talk again, which was exactly how it should-

_**Kendall: **__Okay, new game. You ready?_

James' heart did _not _beat faster at the knowledge that Kendall had been thinking about him. It didn't. It was probably the extra caffeine he'd had this morning.

_**James: **__Will it matter if I say no?_

_**Kendall: **__Nope. Two truths and a lie. I'll go first._

_**Kendall: **__I know all the verses of The Star-Spangled Banner._

_**Kendall: **__I have seen every episode of Baywatch._

_**Kendall: **__I really hate when you're all bitchy and silent during these convos._

_Not _charming. Or cute. He _didn't _love how random Kendall was, or seeing the man drop his guard this way. He _didn't _like the way Kendall constantly surprised him and charmed him without even _trying_, without puzzling out the things James wanted to hear.

_**James: **__You know how this works, right? Two of those things are supposed to be true and only one is supposed to be a lie?_

_**Kendall: **__Yep. The instructions are in the title, Badass. I get it._

James snorted. He hadn't even been going for bitchy and silent, more like annoyed and scared shitless. He didn't need to know Kendall any better. He didn't need to like him any more than he already did, not when he knew he couldn't trust him.

_**James: **__Whatever. You're an FBI agent. Maybe they make you memorize the anthem. Baywatch is a lie._

_**Kendall: **__Nope._

_**James: **__I call bullshit._

_**Kendall: **__Ha! One of the houses I stayed at while I was a kid had a TV that only played videos. Like on tapes. And it was either that or Cop Rock._

_**James: **__I don't know what that is?_

_**Kendall: **__Google it. I'll hold._

_**James: **__God. I would have chosen Baywatch, too. There were hot people in that at least._

_**Kendall: **__There was this whole shark storyline. People died. You should watch it._

_**James: **__I'm not watching Baywatch._

_**Kendall: **__You're totally gonna go watch Baywatch._

Whatever. David Hasselhoff was kinda hot in a bossy way, which got James thinking about all the kinds of things he really didn't want to be thinking about, and-

_**Kendall: **__And for the record, the lie was me not liking when you're bitchy. I like it a lot. It totally turns me on._

What the hell was James supposed to do with that? He didn't want this. He didn't trust this.

_**James: **__Goodnight, Donald._

And okay, so maybe he _might_ have checked whether there were any old episodes of Baywatch on Netflix.

XxX

James woke up on Wednesday morning, a little hungover from a restless sleep and trippy dreams. He'd found episodes of Baywatch to stream, and he wasn't exactly proud of it, but that guilty pleasure had nothing on the dreams that had followed.

He knew exactly what Kendall looked like dripping wet and barely dressed, and so maybe it wasn't _entirely _bizarre when in his dreams, The Hoff had suddenly morphed into Kendall, running down the beach with that weird torpedo thing under his arm, chest gleaming in the sun. But waking up with a hard-on for the guy who'd been a one-night mistake was...something.

Kendall didn't _really _like him. James wasn't sure exactly what game he was playing, but it was time to regain control.

_**James: **__Do you have any food allergies?_

_**Kendall: **__Nope. Do you? _

_**James: **__No. I'm only asking so I could let the Standalls know._

_**Kendall: **__You don't need to make up an excuse to text me, Badass._

_**James: **__Or maybe I wanted to poison you. Maybe you'd deserve it._

_**Kendall: **__There are much more effective ways to bring me to my knees. Wanna hear them?_

_**James: **__Fuck off, Knight._

_**Kendall: **__Knew it._

Well. That had gone about as well as James could have expected.

He went to work, determined to do his job, to focus on the things that he could control. But he couldn't deny the way his stomach flipped when his phone buzzed later that morning.

_**Kendall: **__So, how's work going?_

_**James: **__Fine._

_**Kendall: **__I'm kind of off this week. I'm bored._

_**James: **__How can I sleep safe at night knowing the FBI is missing its best agent?_

Bored. James almost couldn't conceive of Kendall, all five feet eleven of exasperating, panic-inducing wet-dream, sitting around bored. He frowned as he propped his feet up on his desk and stared out of the window at the cloudy gray sky.

What did Kendall do for fun? Who else did he have in his life?

And why the hell did he even _care _when he was supposed to be putting the man out of his mind?

When Kendall didn't reply after a moment, James frowned at the screen. Perhaps his message had been a little bitchier than he'd intended.

_**James: **__Why aren't you chilling with Baywatch? How can you call yourself a true fan?_

_**Kendall: **__Do they have those movies on Netflix?_

_**James: **__No._

He realized his mistake a few seconds too late.

_**James: **__I mean, maybe. I wouldn't know._

_**Kendall: **__Oh my God. You watched them! You DID. Just when I thought I couldn't like you more!_

James rolled his eyes and fought the warmth creeping up his neck. Only words. They were only words, and Kendall didn't mean them.

So why was the man still texting? Why was James still responding?

_**James: **__Don't you have some other poor guy you can con into liking you, Knight? Surely I'm not the only one._

_**Kendall: **__It wasn't a con._

_**James: **__What would you call it?_

James waited a long time, watching the three little dots next to Kendall's name circle and circle and then disappear. He shook his head. He shouldn't be disappointed. He _wasn't _disappointed.

_**Kendall:**__ Already told you. I would call it the best night I've ever had._

_**James: **__Because you got me where you wanted me._

_**Kendall: **__Because it was real, even though it wasn't supposed to be._

James did not have the capacity to handle this. His stupid, traitorous heart leapt at the words.

_**James: **__Wow. I'm all aflutter. I bet you say that to all the guys you fuck for information._

_**Kendall: **__Jesus. I think you're just trying to convince yourself now._

_Ding ding ding. _Give the FBI agent a prize. It was disturbing that Kendall could read him so well. It was even more disturbing that James wasn't having an easy time convincing himself. It had to be an act, but James couldn't figure out why, or what the endgame was.

_**James: **__You're right. I'm deluding myself._

_**James:**__ I mean, I'm kind of the total package-sexy, rich, daddy issues. Makes sense you'd go for me. Who wouldn't?_

_**Kendall: **__Keep being snarky, Badass. Remember what it does to me._

_**Kendall:**__ In fact, since I'm here all alone, I'm gonna re-read your sassy texts and have a private moment._

James rolled his eyes. _He's so infuriating!_

_**James: **__I'm trying to work here._

_**James:**__ Kendall?_

_**James:**__ Kendall, I swear to God, you'd better not be jerking off to my bitchy texts! _

_**James:**__ You. Make. Me. Insane._

It was after seven o'clock and James had been fighting a losing battle against texting Kendall again. Or..._okay_, he'd actually been brainstorming stupid pretexts for messaging the man...when his phone buzzed in his hand.

_**Kendall:**__ Okay, five questions._

James waited a full two minutes, just staring at the screen before replying. Not that James was playing mind games or anything, because that would be _wrong_.

_**James: **__Another game?_

_**Kendall: **__Nope, not a game. We just ask each other five questions. We have to answer honestly. First person who refuses to answer loses._

That didn't sound completely terrifying whatsoever.

James set his jaw. Hadn't he given Kendall enough honesty already?

He stared at the phone in his hand, feeling as though he was standing on the ten-meter diving board back in high school. He'd only ascended the platform once, on a dare, and from the ground, it hadn't seemed scary at all. He was co-captain of the swim team, not afraid of water or heights, so _no big deal_, right?

But when he'd climbed to the top deck, reality had set in. He'd been around divers enough to know that breaching the water from that height _hurt_. You had to break the surface with your palms so you wouldn't brain yourself by smacking your head against the water, but they said even then, you'd feel the impact all the way up your spine, in every one of your muscles. It would be painful and disorienting.

The payoff was a massive adrenaline rush that made you feel like you could conquer the world, but first you had to survive the jump.

_**James: **__Not interested._

_**Kendall: **__We're pretending to be dates on Saturday. We should know some basic shit about each other._

_**James: **__God. Did you not get enough of my sass to finish the job this afternoon?_

_**Kendall: **__Oh, no, I had plenty. And for round two, I remembered us on Friday night. Want to hear?_

_**James: **__Ugh. No. I just ate._

_**Kendall: **__I don't think you understand how honest answers work here, Badass. But I'm gonna go out on a limb and trust you._

_**James: **__What's that like?_

_**Kendall: **__Enough snark. I will even be the bigger person and let you go first._

_Fine. _Clearly James was as susceptible to dares as he had been at seventeen, but whatever. If Kendall was the water he had to break against, then so be it.

_**James: **__Awesome. I will win this game right now. Tell me about your childhood._

_**Kendall: **__That doesn't count. Not a question._

James smirked and felt the rush of victory. He hadn't expected Kendall to answer.

Maybe he'd _hoped_, but he hadn't expected.

He could totally handle this.

_**James: **__OMG, I can taste victory already. FINE. You said you watched Baywatch in one of the places you stayed growing up. Why were you staying someplace other than your home?_

_**Kendall: **__I was a foster kid. I didn't have a permanent placement until I was 10._

Oh-kay. So that was new. James frowned at his phone. A foster kid. James remembered him mentioning his brother, saying his parents were something Kendall wouldn't discuss. How bad had it been for him?

His heart squeezed in sympathy, even as he rolled his eyes at himself.

_That doesn't excuse his behavior. It _doesn't_. I would have helped him without the blackmail. I trusted him and he should have trusted me, too._

Except, maybe for a pair of idiots who hated trusting people, this was the only way it _could _have gone down.

He took too long to reply, and then Kendall was writing again.

_**Kendall: **__Stunned you, huh? That's okay. My turn. Do you like pineapple on your pizza?_

_**James:**__ No. And you're an idiot because we already discussed this on Friday._

_**Kendall: **__I remember. Just an honesty check, Diamond. Your turn._

_**James: **__Rolling my eyes so hard right now._

James licked his lips. He wanted to know so many things Kendall wouldn't volunteer, like _What were you _really _thinking Friday? a_nd _Where the hell do you see this going? a_nd _Why are we doing this? _But he knew Kendall probably didn't have any better answers to those questions than he did, so he went with the more straightforward question.

_**James: **__What's your brother like?_

Now it was Kendall's turn to take an unnaturally long pause, so long that James debated withdrawing the question, maybe giving him an easy, food-related out. But James really wanted to know the answer, suddenly. He wanted Kendall to share, and Kendall had been the one to start this in the first place, so…

_**James: **__Oh, forfeiting already?_

_**Kendall: **__No. Jesus. It's just hard to figure out what to say. How would YOU describe YOUR brother?_

_**James: **__Tall. Genius. Occasional asshole with a heart of gold. Hates onions._

_**Kendall: **__Okay. Ethan's big, loyal, long-haired, loves anything with an engine._

_**James: **__You make him sound like a dog._

And in a way, it made sense, because James sorta thought of Kendall that way. Determined, playful, loyal to a fault. But Kendall would never allow anyone to leash him.

_**Kendall: **__Hush. Apple juice or orange juice, pick only one. And be aware this says a lot about you as a person._

_**James: **__Apple. You're crazy._

_**Kendal: **__Apple lovers are minimalists and romantics. Orange lovers are risk-takers who secretly crave attention. Wanna know mine?_

Not charming, _not _charming. It was strange and silly and…

Oh, alright, fine. It was really fucking charming.

_**James:**__ I already know. You even smell like oranges._

_**Kendall:**__ I do? Weird. Very cute that you remember what I smell like, though._

_**James: **__Only because it bugged me._

Such an obvious lie, James knew Kendall would recognize it a mile away. Moreover, he knew Kendall would see the pitiful truth James had just revealed, and just how much his feelings were involved.

_**James:**__ I just remembered I need to do my marathon training in the morning. Going to bed. Goodnight._

XxX

Ten miles under his belt before the sticky-tar humidity rose up from the pavement to swamp him on Thursday morning had James in a fine mood. He stopped for a water break before crossing the bridge back into Cambridge. He was in control. He would apologize to Kendall for ducking out-which hadn't been cool-and he'd return them to the lighthearted banter they'd enjoyed earlier in the week.

Kendall was right. If they were going to pretend to be together on Friday, they shouldn't be at each other's throats, but they didn't need to become best buddies either. He was going to message Kendall to say so, when his phone buzzed from his armband.

_**Kendall: **__Done running?_

_**James: **__Hey, sorry about last night. Have to go to bed early to wake up early._

_**Kendall: **__That's fine. For the record, I won._

James scowled. _Won? _Like it had really been a contest? Whatever.

_**James: **__No way._

_**Kendall: **__You forfeited._

_**James: **__No, I delayed play. Different thing. Look it up._

_**Kendall: **__You ran from our convo like a chicken at a fox convention._

_**James: **__What the hell does that even mean?_

_**Kendall: **__It's an expression. It means you ran because you didn't like admitting how attracted you were to me._

_**James: **__I needed to sleep._

_**Kendall: **__That dog won't hunt._

James scowled down at his phone, ignoring the curious glances of the other early-morning joggers. He stood with his back against the bridge railing, almost oblivious to the sun rising around him and the smell of coffee which always seemed to pervade the streets at this hour.

Kendall thought he'd run away when things got too real, too emotional, just like Jett did.

Well, two could play at this game.

_**James: **__Whatever. What's with the dogs and chickens? Where the fuck did you grow up?_

_**Kendall: **__Lots of places._

_**James: **__Like?_

_**Kendall: **__Like, lots of places. I don't remember them all._

_**James: **__Fine. We're done now._

He clicked his phone screen off and resumed walking, unaccountably annoyed. Kendall wanted to start this shit, but wouldn't finish it. He wanted James to take all the risks and take none himself.

Not. Fucking. Happening.

_**Kendall: **__Are you pissy?_

_**James: **__No._

Not that he planned to admit, anyway. But he couldn't help adding, a second later:

_**James: **__For the record, I won._

The next text came five minutes later, after James had walked over the bridge, bought himself a coffee, and turned onto his own quiet street. Maybe Kendall had been in the shower, or working out, or making breakfast, but James _knew _in a way he couldn't explain even if he wanted to, Kendall had been staring at his phone screen for a long time...and maybe thinking about diving.

_**Kendall: **__I spent the longest in Johnsville. It's where I graduated high school. I lived there 8 years._

James sighed out loud and closed his eyes right there on the sidewalk. There were facts in that text, and somehow James knew they were real and true, but they weren't the whole story. Kendall was sharing them because they were playing a game and he hated to lose, but James didn't want to get information that way.

_**James: **__Listen, don't start these convos if you don't wanna share, k? You don't owe me a thing and I don't pry._

_**Kendall: **__Sometimes I want to share, James. It's just not easy. I'm out of practice, maybe._

James got it, maybe better than Kendall could imagine. So maybe he was talking to them both as he typed:

_**James: **__Never gets any easier if you don't try._

_**James:**__ Anyway, enjoy your vacation._

_**Kendall:**__ Will do. Starting a new hobby today._

James let himself into his building and stomped up the stairs to shower, wondering.

What if _trust _was the hard surface that could break him? What if Kendall was the _payoff _he'd get if he did?

A little later that morning, James' phone buzzed again as he was signing his name to approximately a thousand thank you cards which Kelly would send to generous SafeWater donors later that day. He threw his pen down on his desk and snatched up his phone to see what new things Kendall had shared.

_**Kendall: **__How many times do I have to shoot this thing before I get paid?_

_**James: **__What?_

_**Kendall: **__This malevolent little fucker popped up in front of me and I shot him. Where is my money?_

_**James: **__Kendall? Are you seeing things? Do I need to call someone?_

_**Kendall: **__Funny. This shit was YOUR idea, James. Now I'm gonna get killed and you're not even helping._

Was he drunk? James' heart sank. Was Kendall having a psychotic break, and all of this clearly-uncharacteristic sharing had been some type of symptom?

He rolled his eyes at himself. Fine. Not likely, but was it possible?

_**James: **__Okay. Text slowly. Use small words. What is going on right now?_

_**Kendall: **__Ah, God! It's happening! I'm dying. Everything's gone gray. Goodbye James! Goodbye. Remember me fondly._

_**James: **__WTF?_

_**Kendall: **__Oh...okay. Crisis averted. I've respawned. Now, how the hell do I get paid?_

_**James: **__Oh. My. Fucking. God. Are you playing a GAME right now?_

_**Kendall: **__Uh, yeah. Obviously. League of Legends. It's the one you mentioned the other night, right?_

_**James: **__((headdesk))_

Not charming. Not adorable. _Gahhhhh!_

**James: **_I don't have time for this. I have work to do._

James' phone buzzed again while he was in his weekly board meeting, also known as the longest hour of the week. The urge to pull the phone from his pocket was almost overwhelming, but he refrained _like a grownup_. But the second the first person began pushing their chair back from the table, he was reading his messages.

_**Kendall: **__James, quick question: Do I get more gold if I kill the dragon?_

_**Kendall: **__Okay, I'm gonna assume bigger target, bugger payoff. I'm going in._

_**Kendall: **__Thanks a lot. I'm dead again. You are no help whatsoever._

James rubbed a hand over his eyes.

Kendall _was _a big, playful, shaggy dog. He was funny as hell, hot as fuck, and infuriating beyond belief.

_**James:**__ I was in a meeting with the board of directors and two congressmen._

_**Kendall:**__ Yeah, well, meanwhile I was DYING. Again._

_**James:**__ Right. I'm sorry you died while I was just fucking around over here._

James had walked the short distance back to his office before Kendall replied.

_**Kendall:**__ Forgiven. IF you tell me how to kill the dragon._

_**James:**__ First of all, that was sarcasm. Second, why do you want to kill the dragon._

_**Kendall:**__ To get the GOLD, Diamond. Duh._

Kelly poked her head into James' office.

"Everything okay, Mr. diamond?"

James glanced up at her, perplexed. "Uh, yeah, why wouldn't it be?"

"You were laughing out loud, all by yourself," she said, looking at him as if maybe he'd finally lost his mind.

And James had no explanation for that, since it was nothing less than the truth.

_**James:**__ You don't get gold for killing dragons, Knight. And at your level, you can't do it without teammates. Who are you playing with?_

_**Kendall:**__ Eh, Pretty sure they're middle-schoolers from, uh, Brazil? They speak Portuguese. I only understand the swear words._

_**James:**__ JFC. You get gold from killing the minions. The dragon gives you a stat boost._

_**Kendall:**__ Oh. What about the big worm on the other side? Does he give me money?_

_**James:**__ NO! Stop! Don't go after Baron._

_**James:**__ Kendall? Don't go after the worm on your own. You'll die again. Get the kids on your team to…_

_**James: **__You know what? Nvm. I'm calling you._

* * *

**Done! You know I had to leave you all with a cliffhanger. :P**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, as well as if you happened to have a favorite part/moment!**

**Again, I hope you all enjoyed and that you all are having a great start to 2020! The next chapter of this probably won't be up until either this weekend or early next week.**

**Until then! :D**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello again everyone! New chapter alert! :D**

**Before we get started, I would like to thank everyone that read last chapter! I would also like to give a huge thank you to winterschild11, Guest, Side1ways, and RainbowDiamonds for reviewing!**

**This chapter is kind of a long one and it stops at kind of an awkward spot, but that was the best place to end it without the chapter being longer than it already is. I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Kendall smiled at his phone screen and cracked open a fresh bottle of beer. A few seconds later, it rang and he answered.

"You suck," James said by way of greeting, and honest-to-God, Kendall's stomach flipped. He hadn't been lying earlier when he said James' bitchy tone, whether in text or speech, totally did it for him. Like pretty much everything that had happened since Friday night, it was fucked up but true.

"Is that any way to speak to a fellow gamer, Diamond?"

James snorted. "I can't believe you actually bought League of Legends and started playing."

"Why not? My work laptop was just sitting here, and you said the game was good. You made it sound fun," Kendall retorted.

James went silent for a moment as though he wasn't quite sure how to take that, or how to reply. Kendall felt guilt flare in his chest. _And whose fault is it that everything is strained now, Knight?_

Before walking into James' office Monday, he thought he'd known exactly how their meeting would go down. He'd still been shocked at how hard it had been for him to sit in that chair, watching James' face veer from hope to crushing hurt because of Kendall's words. He'd been stunned by how much his own heart had ached when James had said, _I thought you and I had something special. Obviously, I was dead wrong._

It had been one thing to plan to hurt _a Diamond_-one of the rich, entitled assholes Kendall hated. But it had somehow become a completely different thing entirely to hurt _James_.

James had agreed to get them to St. Brigitte, and Kendall knew he should be satisfied with that, but it wasn't enough. He'd seen something in James' face on Monday that made him realize once again precisely what he'd be giving up if he let James walk away. The guy had been scared and hopeful, and he'd wanted to trust Kendall. Hell, he _had _trusted Kendall.

And just like Friday night, Kendall found himself wanting to earn that trust back and to _deserve_ that trust.

He wanted James to smile at him again, joke with him again, confide in him again, see the sparkle warm his bright hazel eyes again.

Sex was firmly off the table, _fine_. He honestly wasn't even thinking about sex right now. Or...okay, not _much_. He only wanted to regain what he'd thrown away. For himself, yeah, so he didn't feel like the world's biggest asshole, but also for James, because somehow, he'd come to realize James deserved at least that much. If he had to text or call James more than twenty times a day and show his ridiculously geeky, awkward side to achieve that, then so be it.

It was way outside Kendall's usual playbook, but suddenly he felt as if he needed to change up his plays.

"I keep dying embarrassingly fast, though." Kendall was kind of surprised by how much fun he'd found the game, his multiple deaths notwithstanding.

James cleared his throat. "Well, keep leveling up and we can play together sometime. I'll, um...invite you on my team."

"Yeah?" Kendall was absurdly pleased by this offer, a promise of time together even after the party this weekend. "We can do that. My Yoda you can be."

"Well, first rule you need to remember, young Padawan, is don't go after the big guys without your team."

Kendall snickered. "You'd be surprised at how often I get told that, Badass." Gustavo's words right before Kendall had been escorted out of the FBI office came to mind. "Hard to find good teammates sometimes," he added quietly.

"Gotta give loyalty to get loyalty."

_Ouch. _"What happens when one of your teammates fucks up, though? Like, royally? What happens when they go off and do something stupid so the other team kills you?"

"Get better teammates," James said, so dryly Kendall nearly laughed.

"Well, you could, but maybe it'd be better to keep the teammate you have and just, you know, trust they'll learn their lesson and not fuck shit up again."

James sighed, and Kendall could hear the creak of a chair, as though maybe James was leaning back.

"Yeah, well. Problem is, they'd have to understand what they did wrong, Knight, and you'd have to believe they gave a shit about not doing it again. I don't know if that's possible."

_Ouch, again. _James' words cut like a razor and Kendall sucked in a breath, twisting his beer bottle around on his desk.

"I don't _do _apologies, usually. I do whatever I have to do to get stuff done. But...I'm really sorry I didn't tell you who I was on Friday night. At first it was only because I wanted to get to know you, so I could handle you more effectively, but then I started to actually like you." Dear God, he sounded like a high schooler, didn't he? He huffed. He'd rather walk on hot coals than spew this mortifying emotional garbage, but if this was what James needed from him, if this was what would put the spark back in James' eyes then _whatever_. "I wasn't thinking of you as an asset after that, I swear. I was thinking of you as an incredibly hot guy I really wanted to spend the night with."

James was silent for so long after Kendall spoke, Kendall had to check whether the call had been disconnected. But finally, James sighed.

"You don't usually do apologies and I don't usually do second chances," he said. "So, fine. I guess we'll both make an exception in this case. I'll see you tomorrow."

Kendall clutched his phone for a long while after James disconnected, feeling as though he'd won something really important for the very first time.

* * *

James sat on his bed, staring at his phone. Nothing from Kendall all day, which shouldn't have been unexpected. They would see each other at the airport in a little while anyway. Still, he debated texting him. Kendall could reassure him like no one else.

How one man could fuck up his mind and calm it down at the same time was a mystery James couldn't solve.

He sighed and rolled to his feet, contemplating his suitcase. He'd packed his swim trunks and tux, but he'd hesitated before also packing his oldest, most comfortable T-shirts and a couple of fitted polos. He threw in a pair of Converse and some flip-flops, then zipped the case closed.

He grabbed his charger from beside the bed and hesitated, staring at the closed drawer of his nightstand. Condoms and lube? He shook his head.

_Nope. Not this weekend, not gonna happen._

But he closed his eyes and quickly nabbed a few foil packets and a small bottle of lube and stashed them in his suitcase anyway, as if doing it blind meant he wouldn't have to acknowledge his own idiocy.

_You want him. This doesn't have to be a big thing, dummy. Let things happen the easy way again...just this once._

Kendall was an agent, and theoretically, they were on opposite teams when it came to Shane, but a thought had been niggling at the back of James' brain. Kendall had told him flat-out that maybe they wouldn't have investigated Shane even if James had refused to go along with Kendall's scheme. Was that his way of offering James an out, even while he manipulated him? Or was James just desperate enough to want to believe it?

Which brought up the larger question of why James had agreed, and James was fairly and uncomfortably sure, the reason had a lot to do with the man who'd asked the question, and the idea that maybe it was time for him to finally face his fear of flying.

Maybe it was time to face a lot of things.

He grabbed his phone and dialed Shane's number, not completely surprised when the phone went straight to voicemail. He pursed his lips together at the sound of his brother's voice-controlled, methodical but still happy, pre-crash Shane-telling him to leave a message.

"Hey, so...I'm going away to St. Brigitte this weekend. Last minute thing for the Standall Children's charity gala thing, and uh...I'm pretty nervous because...well, you know."

He hesitated, then plowed on. "I don't like the way we left things the other day, so I just wanted to remind you that I love you, and I want to be around for you more, okay? Maybe there are things I can do, so you don't feel like you have to grieve alone. Maybe we can go visit the cemetery when I get back, if you want." His voice had trailed off to nearly a whisper. "That's it. I love you, Shay. Be well. Talk to you soon."

He took a deep breath and slid the phone in his pocket.

He grabbed his suitcase and rolled it out the door, locked his dreary apartment behind him, and took the elevator to the first floor. The air outside was stifling hot, the humidity so oppressive his shirt was already sticking to him during the short walk from the lobby to the town car waiting at the curb. He gave his case to the driver and let himself into the backseat for the short drive to the airport.

As the car moved, his stomach began to churn. He'd been working with Dr. Patterson on the issue of his fear of flying for a couple of months. He tried to calm himself with logic and breathe consciously just the way he'd been taught. Statistically, take off was the worst time. If he got through that part, he'd be fine. _Flying is one of the safest modes of transportation. Thousands of people do it every day._

He understood the science of flight-had made a point to study it, in fact, after the crash. But there remained a kind of elusive magic to the whole process, some kind of alchemy that transmuted drag and lift into soaring. If he couldn't fully understand it, then how could he trust it?

_Heh. _He rolled his eyes at himself. It seemed he had a chronic trust issue.

The airport-a private field not far from the city, came into view all too quickly, and he wondered if Kendall would be waiting there. When Kelly had made their travel arrangements, she'd gotten them separate cars, and it occurred to James that he didn't have the first clue where Kendall lived. A nice suburban house? Some crappy little place in the city? A cave covered in animal skins? He was insanely curious about the man.

Or maybe just insane.

They pulled up to a small guardhouse, and the driver chatted with the security guard for a few moments before the guard raised the swinging arm allowing them onto the airfield. And then suddenly they were at the plane-his parents' plane. The plane they _should _have all flown in the day of the crash, had his parents not left early. His stomach twisted with one of those stupid, unpredictable pangs of grief that came up out of nowhere. He had to work to keep his breathing steady, so the panic wouldn't take over.

He wasn't sure he could do this.

But James did _not _want to be humiliated in front of Kendall ever again, so he forced himself to swing his legs around and get out of the car.

Staring at Kendall kept his mind momentarily distracted from his fear. It's funny that his last name was Knight, because James could definitely picture him as one, albeit one who wore old, faded jeans that clung to his legs just the right way, and a red T-shirt that stretched tight across his chest and shoulders. His hair was messy again, falling into his face a bit like it had the night they'd first met, and his eyes were hidden by mirrored aviator glasses which should have looked totally douchy, but on him looked fucking amazing. His jaw was set, and although James couldn't see his eyes behind the shades, he could tell Kendall was watching him by the visible tension in his body.

The driver cleared his throat, and James' eyes flicked to him. "Er, if you'll step this way, sir, I'll see to your luggage?"

Oh, right. Because he was standing in the open car doorway like an idiot. Yeah.

He grabbed his carry-on bag and stepped toward the plane.

The plane looked harmless enough. Plain white, with the Diamond Tech logo on the side, just as James remembered it. The sun was setting, reflecting rainbow sparkles off the plane windows that were almost too bright to look at. Shane and several of the other executives used the plane routinely for travel and never had a problem, so the likelihood that James would-

"You ready for this?"

Kendall's voice at his shoulder had James turning away from the plane momentarily. He was so close James could feel his body heat.

_Was _James ready? He wanted to be.

He hoped that would be enough.

"Ready," he lied.

* * *

_Jesus Christ_, it was hot out here. Kendall felt a bead of sweat drip down between his shoulder blades as he stood behind James, who was staring at his company plane completely transfixed, as though he'd never seen the thing before. Was this one of those rich-guy eccentricities, staring in awe at a symbol of your own wealth? He rolled his eyes and felt the bad mood that had been riding him all afternoon kick up an extra notch.

Most of Kendall's sourness had begun when a town car showed up to collect him from his little duplex in Dorchester. He was fairly certain Mrs, Tarver, who lived on the first floor, was gonna give him shit the next time she saw him, and she didn't even know he was taking the car to a _private plane _at a _private airfield_.

One final envelope from Ethan had arrived just that morning, long after Kendall had woken up smiling and actually _anticipating _this weekend for reasons having nothing to do with solving a case, finding his brother, or getting justice. He'd been sitting with his phone out on his coffee table, thinking about what he should text James, how much overt flirtation James would put up with, when the intercom had announced a package for him. _Overnight shipping_. Weird.

As soon as he'd pulled the tab, the dull, black device slipped out onto the table, and realization had whacked him upside the head.

This wasn't supposed to be a romantic weekend.

He'd almost forgotten the original purpose.

Guilt had swooped in immediately, swamping any lust, any friendliness, any _anticipation_ Kendall had been feeling. How could he have forgotten Ethan, when Ethan should have been Kendall's only priority?

Then a paper had fluttered out a second later, a note in familiar, blocky handwriting-"Will message this weekend," and the familiar resentment was back.

There were no messages on the phone, no numbers programmed, not a single communication from Ethan asking whether Kendall was okay, or making sure he'd been able to find a way to St. Brigitte, just a simple expectation he'd be there.

Not that he didn't _want _Ethan to expect him, but _God_.

Bitterness churned in his gut, along with yet more guilt, a heaping helping of anxiety, and _whatever it was _he felt for James but hadn't quite put a name to yet. The combination set him on edge and made him sound like more of an ass than usual when he threw a hand out in the direction of the plane and said, "We gonna stand out here all day admiring the thing? It's hot as hell."

James startled and turned back to looked at Kendall. His eyes were wide and hurt.

Kendall flinched.

He was being a jerk, but he wasn't sure how the hell to distance himself from James mentally or emotionally when every instinct told him to do the opposite.

He grabbed James' laptop bag from his hand, hefted his own backpack onto his shoulder, and nudged James' arm to get him moving.

Slowly, reluctantly, James walked forward, then paused at the base of the steps, as though he was having second thoughts.

"Remember you're doing this for Shane," Kendall warned, deliberately injecting a challenge into his voice.

As Kendall had known he would, James sucked in a breath and straightened his spine resolutely.

"Thanks so much," he said sourly. "You're not helping."

Kendall shrugged. "Let's just get in before I melt."

James scowled over his shoulder. "You do realize we are going to a Caribbean island, right? Near the equator? Where it's likely going to be even hotter and more humid than it is in Boston?"

Kendall rolled his eyes, only realizing after he'd done it that James wouldn't be able to see him through his sunglasses.

"Well, I won't wanna stand outside down there, either, Badass." He nudged James again, and James ascended the steps quickly, only to pause again when he stepped into the plane.

The door was located near the front of the aircraft, just behind the cockpit. Straight ahead was a minuscule kitchen area with a refrigerator and sink, but to the right, the cabin opened into an area that looked like a tiny living room, the kind of thing rockstars had on their tour busses.

There were two leather captain chairs, which swiveled around, along with a low wooden coffee table and matching end tables flanking a huge leather sofa. The sofa, complete with seatbelts-ran nearly the length of the cabin. At the tail of the plane, he could see an open door in front of a large bed, and to one side was a closed door he could only imagine led to the bathroom.

All in all, this plane was nicer than most of the houses he'd lived in growing up, and the price tag could probably have bought and sold _all _of those houses twice over. He wasn't sure why he kept fixating on money, except that it somehow reinforced that he and James, with their different backgrounds, had been doomed from the beginning.

James seemed to be frozen in place again, staring at a picture mounted on the wall in the kitchen area. Three guys, definitely early 90s based on the way they were dressed, huddled with their arms over each other's shoulders. There was a small shovel laid on a mound of dirt in front of them, and they looked giddy as toddlers who'd made a sandcastle. Kendall recognized a younger Deckard Shaw, David Diamond, and Jonathan Stetson. He had no idea why James was captivated by it, though.

"James?" Kendall said impatiently. "You wanna move so I can get past you with the bags?"

"What? Oh, yeah. Sorry," James apologized. He took a small step toward the front of the plane and Kendall edged around him to the rear, plunking their carry-on bags on the coffee table before throwing himself down on the sofa. The phones-_two _phones for fuck's sake, when he'd rather not have _any_-dug into his hip as he sat, so he placed them both on the table.

"What's the deal with the picture?" Kendall asked. He didn't like the way James stared at it-the tension in his shoulders, the way his face had gone a little pale despite the undeniable warmth in the air. As much as he tried to tell himself James' feelings weren't his problem, he knew it was a lie.

James cleared his throat. "Uh, I forgot it was here, I guess, and it's just strange to see my dad."

Kendall nodded, reluctant sympathy burning off the majority of his bad mod. Grief was a bitch and it welled up at the weirdest times, Kendall knew only too well.

James licked his lips and moved toward one of the chairs across from Kendall. He sat himself down gingerly on the edge, as if he might stand up and run away at any moment, then darted an anxious glance at Kendall.

Was James afraid of him?

"What's going on with you?" Kendall asked.

James ignored him. "You've got two phones?" He said absently, as though casting around for something to talk about. "One for work and one for home?"

Kendall wanted to shut down this topic immediately. "One for work, and the other for this weekend."

James' attention was caught. "Is this weekend not work?" His eyes sought Kendall's. "I thought that was the whole point?"

Kendall set his teeth. "It's a sideline investigation, and I'm waiting for contact on this phone. No more questions about that." _Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies._

James pressed a hand to his stomach as though sickened by the whole exchange. Kendall frowned.

The captain emerged from the cockpit.

"Mr. Diamond, we're ready to depart," he told James in lightly-accented English. "Looks like clear skies all the way to St. Brigitte, and we should make it there by sixteen hundred hours. Andres will bring you refreshments if you call, but otherwise, he won't intrude."

The man looked back and forth from James to Kendall, as if imagining they might need their privacy. James blushed, and Kendall fought the urge to snicker. God, James was adorable.

"Great. Thank you, Stavros," James said, running a hand through his hair. Then he added, "It's, uh, really nice to see you again."

"Same to you, sir," the captain said with a broad smile. "You've been missed."

James nodded jerkily then sat back, found the seatbelt attached to the chair and buckled himself in.

"Must be nice," Kendall said as another uniformed attendant-Andres, probably-slid the plane door closed.

James sucked in a breath at the hollow _thunk_.

"What's _nice_?" he snapped. His hands were tense against the chair arms, like he was really pissed. "Are you going to buckle your seatbelt?"

"Settle down, James, I only meant _this_." Kendall gestured all around, at the furnishings, the privacy, the luxury, the _privilege_, and ignored the second half of James' question. "I've got to admit, I'm gonna be disappointed if there's not a hot tub in the bathroom."

"Prepare for disappointment," James ground out. "Maybe next time you blackmail someone into giving you a ride in their plane, you'll make inquiries first."

Whoa. So they were back to blackmail?

"What's wrong with you?" Kendall asked again as the engine began to whine loudly and the plane rocked into motion. "I'm just saying, you've probably used the fact that you can fly wherever, whenever, and you never have to have your knees tucked up to your chest when you do."

"No." A single, terse word, like James couldn't be bothered with the whole conversation.

"No? No, you're not used to it? Or no, you don't take a private plane when you travel? I'd think most people who have private planes would use them, right?"

James' eyes flew open, and they spat hazel fire.

"_Most people_? Most people haven't had their parents die in a fucking plane crash, Knight."

Kendall's jaw dropped as understanding, immediate and horrifying, washed over him in a wave. James wasn't angry, he was afraid. Absolutely, totally petrified. And he'd been so determined to keep his distance from the man that he'd completely failed to notice it. Oh, _fuck_.

Pissed off, resentful and, yeah, _guilty_, as he was, Kendall hadn't considered this possibility at all, but now it seemed beyond obvious.

Without hesitation, Kendall levered himself off the sofa and went to kneel in front of James. "You don't like to fly?"

"I don't fly at all. I hate flying."

"Not at all? Not since the accident?"

Another wordless shake of the head, and then James' hands were on his face, his palms scrubbing at his eyes. He sucked in air, something between a sob and a laugh. "I've tried, I really have, but I usually can't even get on the plane, and now we're already on and moving."

Kendall grabbed James' hands with his own, forcing them down from his face. James' eyes were bleak, and Kendall's stomach cramped painfully at the sight.

Just like that, all his doubts evaporated, any thoughts of maintaining his distance flew out the window. He could no more leave James like this than he could fly to the island under his own power-it was simply beyond his capability.

"Why didn't you-" he began, but then stopped. He was pretty sure he knew why James wouldn't have mentioned this. Kendall had forced his hand. _Jesus._

"I'm not ashamed of it," James said defiantly, looking at something over Kendall's shoulder. "It's my shit, and I own it, okay? It's normal."

Kendall frowned. "Of course it's normal. I...I didn't think." More like he was trying so hard _not _to think about James, he'd missed the obvious.

"It doesn't make me weak, either," James continued in the same voice, and Kendall realized James wasn't arguing with _him_, but with his own doubts.

"Okay, come on," Kendall said, quickly unbuckling James' seatbelt. James gave a terrified squeak of protest, but Kendall had already picked him up and deposited him in the middle seat of the sofa, quickly locating the seatbelt, fastening it around James' waist and taking the empty seat beside him.

As the plane picked up speed, taxiing down the runway, Kendall fastened his own belt. Then he twisted toward James and pulled the man against him so James' face was buried in his chest while his arms wrapped around James' shoulders. James gave a shudder that might have been fear or relief, or a little of both. The man needed something to focus on, something to make him feel safe. Kendall reached a hand into his pocket and grabbed his lucky quarter. He took James' hand and pressed the coin into his palm.

"What's this?" James asked.

"It's my good luck charm," Kendall told him, running a hand over James' hair. "Saved my ass a hundred times or more."

"Really?" James' voice was disbelieving, as though he thought Kendall was bullshitting him.

"Really," Kendall confirmed. He took a deep breath. "When I was a kid, I was bitten by a dog." He hesitated before adding, "It was my stepfather's dog. A big-ass German Shepherd. I still have a little scar." He shifted his hand and moved a finger up to trace the edge of his lip. "Anyway, uh, I had this crazy fear of dogs after that. All of them, big or small, so at first they tried to place me in homes where they didn't have animals, but they can't always manage it, you know?"

Kendall blew out a breath. He'd never spoken about this shit aloud to anyone before in his life, and he was pretty sure he sounded like an idiot. James didn't move or say anything, but Kendall could tell he was listening, could _feel _James was focused on _him_, not on the plane bouncing down the tarmac. "I was placed with the Hendersons when I was ten, and they had _three _dogs. Vicious, yappy little things. They were sweet to Craig and Rhonda, but assholes to me and Ethan. They'd growl and bark and-" He cleared his throat. "Ethan didn't care, because he was older-taller, bigger. But I was this tiny, scrawny, little kid."

"Not possible," James mumbled, making Kendall laugh.

"Well, I didn't just pop out this size, Badass," he joked. "But yeah, I was runty even for my age. I hadn't gotten into football or any kind of sports at that point. Craig Henderson, he was a _man's man _kind of guy. He didn't tolerate weakness or having a gay kid like Ethan or a bisexual kid like me living in his house either, but that's a different story for a different time. He, uh, felt like it was his duty to make me stronger by making me face my fear, so he made me feed the dogs by myself every night."

James pulled back to look at him, his eyes bright and _angry _in a way that warmed Kendall's chest. "What did you do?"

Kendall shrugged. "The first time? I cried. I mean, my choices were to take my chances with the dogs or take my chances with Craig. And if Ethan had tried to interfere, Craig would get pissed at _him _instead. So, Ethan gave me this quarter. Told me it was magic and it would protect me."

James smiled, just a little. "And you believed it?"

"God, no. Even then I knew there was no such thing." He swallowed. "But, here's the thing. Ethan gave it to me because he wanted me to be brave, right? Because, for whatever reason, he loved me and wanted me to be okay. And so, whenever I have it with me, I remember I'm not...you know, alone. _That's _the magic, I think."

The plane picked up speed, and James' hand clenched around the quarter. He buried his face in Kendall's chest again with a small groan.

"You know, air travel is really safe most of the time," Kendall said, stroking his hand down James' back. "Way safer than cars and trains."

"I know," James said, the sound muffled by Kendall's shirt. "And the number of aircraft accidents goes down all the time. I've looked it up."

"Just think about how much more dangerous other forms of transportation are, and how people have lived to tell the tale," Kendall said as they barreled down the runway. He felt the weightless jerk in his stomach that told him the plane was now airborne, and he began to talk faster. "Like, uh, have you ever seen how people strap those helicopter blades to their lawn chairs and stuff?"

James stiffened in Kendall's hold. "What?"

"Seriously. I saw it on TV. One guy even took a hot air balloon mechanism and attached it to one of those plastic rain barrels people use in their gardens. You know the kind I mean?"

James nodded, pulling away again to look at Kendall in confusion, maybe wondering what the hell Kendall was rambling on about.

It was a damn good question, and one Kendall didn't have an answer to. His main goal here was distraction, and he'd quickly learned nothing distracted James as effectively as Kendall being ridiculous. Kendall pulled James' head back against his chest and dug his fingers into the incredibly tight muscles at the base of James' neck.

James let out a whimper-a sound so like the one he'd made last Friday, Kendall felt his dick begin to swell, as though the fucking thing had a direct connection to James' vocal cords. _Focus, Knight. James needs you._

"Right, so, the only problem was, he had no idea how to steer it. The dude launches himself up, I swear to God, wearing nothing but his underwear and swim goggles. He goes so high he gets fucking hypothermia. He passes out, and when comes to, he's miles and _miles _away from his house, where he started the adventure. Like, in the next _state_. They had to send out people to rescue him."

"But...How did he..._Why _would he do that?" James demanded. He didn't attempt to pull away, and in fact, he seemed to be pushing into Kendall's touch, seeming to enjoy the sensation. He twisted to get more comfortable, and one of his hands came to rest on Kendall's thigh.

Kendall increased the pressure of his thumbs on James' neck.

"I don't know. Maybe because he had no idea he wasn't supposed to?"

Kendall could feel James frown against his chest. "That completely defies logic. How would he know how to build the mechanism but not know how to control it? Or not know it would be _dangerous _to launch himself into the air with no sure way to get down?"

Kendall chuckled. "Dude, have you not realized that hardly anything in life is logical? Logic and magic are both pretty scarce."

James shook his head, his body growing more pliant against Kendall's, even though his hand was still clenched around the quarter. "You're totally wrong. Almost everything is logical. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. There are three hundred sixty-five days in a year. One plus one is two."

"Those things are _facts_," Kendall said, glancing out the window to see they were now surrounding by puffy white clouds. "That doesn't necessarily make them logical. _Why _are there three hundred and sixty-five days, not an even hundred? Why does the sun rise in the east instead of the north? You can't explain it, there's not a logical explanation behind it, it just _is_."

He scratched his fingers through the hair at the base of James' neck, felt him shudder slightly, and continued in a lower voice.

"Sometimes the truest things are the weirdest ones, the ones you think couldn't possibly work. And I think…" He hesitated. "I think a lot of the time when people do really remarkable shit, it's because they didn't know they couldn't, or they didn't listen when people told them they weren't supposed to."

James was quiet for a minute, digesting this. Kendall watched his fingers play against James' neck, and felt James' fingers-the ones not holding his lucky quarter-contract against his thigh before the man relaxed against Kendall more fully.

"Give me an example," James said, one hundred percent serious, and Kendall had to bite his lip to stop himself from grinning like an idiot. He couldn't remember the last time someone had listened to the bullshit he sometimes spouted and seriously considered it. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so _important_. It was odd, and really, really satisfying.

"Okay, think about the first dude who rubbed two sticks together and made fire. I mean, he couldn't have known for sure it was going to happen. If you didn't know anything about friction, and some guy came to you and grunted that he was gonna make a spark by rubbing two boring-ass sticks together, you'd think he was off his rocker. But he didn't _know _it was a stupid idea, so he did it, and voila. Fire."

James snorted. "Voila, fire?"

"Hush," Kendall said, yanking a lock of hair at the crown of James' head. James inhaled sharply, but didn't pull away. In fact, he sank further into Kendall's lap. Kendall lifted his knee onto the seat sideways and shifted so James was leaning against him more fully.

"That...actually makes a lot of sense."

James sounded so surprised, Kendall yanked his hair again. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"No, no. I mean, I'd just never thought of it like that before. My dad, when he started Diamond Tech, he was the same. Everybody thought he was going to fail. His own parents wrote him off. 'Don't come crying to us when you end up bankrupt.' My mom's parents were just as bad. Nobody would invest in the business at first. I remember hearing my parents put up our house as collateral, and if he'd failed, they would've been homeless with a baby to support. That's really stupid when you think about it."

Kendall chuckled. "Massively stupid."

"But it paid off." James' voice was still disbelieving.

"Given that we are currently sitting on a leather sofa in the sky, winging our way to a private island, I'd have to agree."

James jerked his head up and looked out the window, then back at Kendall in surprise. "We took off. We're already in the air."

"Yup."

James' eyes widened and his lips turned up in a small smile. He glanced down at the quarter in his hand.

"Uh...thanks. I think maybe I'm good now." He held the quarter out in his open palm for Kendall to take back.

Kendall pushed James' fingers closed around the coin. All the things he could say-_It's my fault. I made you do this in the first place. _and _Thank you for making me feel necessary. _and _Come lean on me again._-sounded like sappy bullshit, so he stuck to a simple, "You hang on to it."

* * *

**Done! So, Kames are en route to St. Brigitte! **

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, as well as if you happened to have a favorite part/moment!**

**Again, I hope you all enjoyed and that you all are having a great weekend! The next chapter will pick up where this one left off and will essentially be part two of Kames' flight to St. Brigitte! That'll probably be up either later in the week or next weekend sometime.**

**Until then! **

**-Epically Obsessed**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hello again everyone! Welcome back to Easy!**

**Before we get started, I would like to thank everyone that read last chapter! I would also like to give a huge thank you to winterschild11, Side1ways, Guest, and RainbowDiamonds for reviewing!**

**So, fair warning, there may or may not be some...intimate Kames this chapter. Proceed at your own risk. :P**

**I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

James swallowed and looked down at his lap. "You know, I don't know if I could have done what my dad did. I'm, uh...risk-averse. I think I mostly do what I'm supposed to. One foot in front of the other, you know?"

It sounded as though James was reciting something he'd heard somewhere. Maybe his ex? That asshole had better hope he and Kendall didn't meet up anytime soon.

Kendall frowned and ducked his head so James' eyes met his. "Bullshit."

"What?"

"I said, _bullshit_, Badass. You take risks all the time, and I know what I'm talking about. My friend Carlos used to say I should get 'No risk, no reward' tattoed on me someplace."

"This doesn't surprise me." James raised one eyebrow.

Kendall chuckled. "And you still haven't seen my League of Legends skills." James rolled his eyes, but Kendall continued, "The way you see yourself is seriously flawed, babe. You've done nothing _but _take risks since the minute we met. Sneaking up to skinny dip in the pool, making out in stairwells, flying me to St. Brigitte as your _date_. Maybe I have a good effect on you."

James' eyes were piercing as they focused on Kendall, and then his lips tipped up into a smile.

Kendall gave James a wink, then took his seatbelt off and stood, taking the opportunity to stretch and adjust himself while James couldn't see. Whatever effect Kendall had on James, James was definitely having one on him. Something about the guy's smile and the way every emotion played so openly across his face totally killed Kendall's self-control.

"So, do you have movies on your laptop? I brought some cards if you want to play a game instead. Poker, or...I don't know, Never Have I Ever?"

"Kendall?" James said, his voice strained. Kendall turned and glanced down at him in concern, but James didn't look worried or upset, he seemed…

Turned on.

"I don't want to play card games," he said, taking off his own seatbelt to Kendall's absolute surprise.

"You don't?"

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I want to do something a little _riskier_."

_Oh. Holy. Shit. _He licked his suddenly dry lips. "Riskier, as in?"

"As in, hold still." James reached out and unbuttoned Kendall's jeans in one smooth movement. He sank to his knees beside the couch and looked up at Kendall, waiting for approval, but Kendall's mind was a total blank slate.

James wanted to…

Kendall's pulse pounded, all the blood in his body traveling immediately to his cock, but still, he had to ask, "James? Are you sure?"

He didn't want to take advantage of the situation, of a moment of vulnerability James had shared. Kendall's loyalties were all fucked up, but one thing he knew for sure was that he didn't want to hurt James again.

But James nodded, his eyes glazed with want, and all Kendall's good intentions drifted away into the cloud deck. He had no fucking clue what was happening right here, but nobody had ever accused _him _of being risk-averse. So, they'd do this. And he'd make _sure _James didn't get hurt, somehow.

"Do it," Kendall said, low and commanding.

James responded instantly, pulling Kendall's jeans down to his ankles. Kendall toed off his shoes and stepped out of them, kicking his pants aside. James threaded his fingers into the waistband of Kendall's boxers and looked up at him again, waiting for direction, waiting for permission.

_Oh, fuck._

Kendall's dick was so hard he could feel pre-come leaking from the tip. James' eyes flicked to Kendall's bulge and he licked his lips before looking back up at him.

"You want to take my boxers off too?"

Kendall's braced his hands on the low, curved ceiling of the plane so he wouldn't be tempted to rip his _own _boxers off and take himself in his hand. He was completely getting off on the way James was looking at him, and no way did he want this to end too soon.

"Yes," James whispered.

Kendall hesitated for a second, wondering how far he should push, but just as before, he could read James perfectly. James needed this. "Yes, _what_?"

James' eyes closed and he shivered slightly. "Yes, _please_," he begged.

And that was it. Game on. He could see the light flicker in James' eyes that said he was giving himself over to this, to Kendall.

"Take them off," Kendall instructed. His boxers were gone almost before the words passed his lips, and his cock was rock hard and pulsing in the cool air of the plane.

James bit his lip and sighed, and once again the sound seemed to bypass Kendall's brain and travel directly to his dick. He dropped one hand from the ceiling to cradle James' jaw, his thumb brushing over those gorgeous, pink lips, then he cupped the back of James' head and gently guided him forward.

James didn't need any further permission or encouragement, and apparently, he didn't need a warmup. He swallowed Kendall down to the root in one gulp. Kendall cried out, his head swimming at the sensation.

James stared up at Kendall and at the sight of those trusting, lust-hazed hazel eyes, Kendall nearly lost it. His hand clenched in James' hair, and he forced himself to relax, to let James take this at his own pace.

"So, so, good baby," he praised as James pulled nearly all the way off his dick, ran his tongue over the tip, then sank all the way back down again, nearly choking himself in the process. "Easy," Kendall said.

But James didn't want that. He made a small humming noise in the back of his throat, a sound of disagreement. He grabbed Kendall's hand from the top of his head and moved it around to the back, pushing slightly, and his eyes pleaded with Kendall as he sank down so far his eyes watered. Kendall heard what James was trying to tell him as clearly as if James had spoken aloud. _Take it._

"You want to choke on it, James? You want to take my cock all the way down your throat?"

The moan James gave, the helpless pleading in his eyes as he wrapped his hands around Kendall's ass and pushed forward, were confirmation enough. Kendall wouldn't ask if James was sure, wouldn't discourage him from having this exactly the way he wanted it since it was exactly the way Kendall wanted it, too.

With both hands, he grabbed James' head, his fingers threading into the soft brown strands of James' hair, and held him still. James' eyes burned up at him, full of love and trust Kendall knew he hadn't earned. If James could trust him again-would trust him in _this_, at least, then Kendall wouldn't let him down. He rocked back, watching James' cheeks hollow as he sucked, then thrust forward, into the scorching hot cavern of James' mouth.

Time seemed to spiral, and Kendall found himself in a feedback loop of desire, the almost painfully good feeling of James' mouth on his dick, and the answering pleasure he could see in James' eyes. It was the best he'd ever had, better by far than any one-night hookup or backroom blow job, and it wasn't because James had any particular skill-though, fuck, could the man use his mouth. It was because of the way James' eyes were focused on him, wanting Kendall to take him, wanting Kendall to own him, wanting _Kendall _himself.

And suddenly, the pleasure wasn't enough. He needed James to be with him. Just like last week, he needed to offer James something more real than he'd ever offered anyone before.

He slid himself out of James' mouth, a shudder wracking his body at the sight of James' swollen, spit-slick lips.

"Stand up, baby," he commanded.

James got to his feet immediately, his chest heaving, Kendall's hands cradling his jaw. Kendall leaned forward and kissed him, sliding his tongue along James' and tasting himself on James' tongue as though he'd embedded himself under James' skin. _Exactly as it should be._

He unfastened James' shorts and pushed them down, along with his underwear, only breaking the kiss for a moment as he stripped off their shirts, and then he held James against him, skin-to-skin. His hands roamed the toned muscles of James' abs and around to his strong back. James hid undeniable strength beneath his clothes, and that strength inflamed Kendall beyond belief. He gripped James' hips and thrust against him, his cock sliding against James' stomach. Both men moaned.

His hands dipped further, skimming over James' ass, dipping between his cheeks. James broke away from their kiss and shuddered out a breath.

"Please?"

"You want more? You want me?"

James nodded, his eyes blazing, no trace of hesitation or shyness.

"Yes," he said. "_You _are exactly what I need."

Kendall swallowed, his throat tight. James was all welcoming openness, giving of himself again and again with no hesitation. It was fucking _humbling_. And for the first time in a long while, Kendall felt a pang of nerves, followed by a flash of resolve.

His man deserved perfection, and perfection was what Kendall would give him.

_His man. _

His brain stuttered at the thought, but he put it aside to consider later. For now, he'd concentrate on showing James that his faith in Kendall was justified.

* * *

Kendall smiled softly, and his hands began tracing the curves of James' ass again. James' hips jutted forward instinctively.

"I'm gonna take care of you, babe," Kendall murmured.

Kendall leaned in, capturing James' mouth in a fast, searing kiss. Then his lips ghosted across James' jaw, and his teeth clamped down lightly on James' earlobe. James exhaled with a shudder. "I'm going to make you feel so good."

James was already feeling good. Downright delirious, in fact. He was still dimly aware that he was on a _plane_, but his panic had been replaced by an almost fatalistic determination. If something awful happened, if he died, then he would die this way, with his arms wrapped around Kendall's shoulders with blazing trails of fire snaking up and down his spine.

"More," he told Kendall. More of everything. More of Kendall's hand curling around his ass, more of Kendall's cock rocking against his own, more of the feeling that Kendall was focused entirely on him.

Kendall thrust against James once more, and then spun him to face away. His hands swept around to James' stomach, and then separated, one trailing up to toy with James' nipple, while the other went lower...and lower.

"More of this?" Kendall demanded, his open mouth sliding over the tendon at the base of James' neck. "Or more of this?"

Kendall's hand trailed gently-_way _too gently-up and down James' cock. James thrust into Kendall's hand and moaned as Kendall chuckled.

He gripped James more firmly with one hand, while the other moved from James' chest to his back and pushed gently between James' shoulder blades, forcing him to bend. James grabbed the back of the couch, his knees coming to rest on the cushions where they'd been sitting, while Kendall's mouth brushed soft, teasing kisses down James' spine, dipping his tongue into the grooves above his ass.

"You like this?" he asked. James made an inarticulate pleading noise as Kendall's hand stroked him from behind.

Then Kendall sank to his knees on the floor, and both of his hands were on James' ass again, spreading him. He licked a path along the sensitive skin between James' balls and his ass. _Oh, Jesus, yes._

"Or maybe you want me to do _this_."

Kendall's thumb found James' opening and stroked over it once, twice. James whined, _honest-to-God whined_, and felt dimly like he should probably be embarrassed by his needy noise, but he couldn't work himself around it. Kendall seemed to totally get off on it, from the way his fingers tightened on James' skin. James rocked against nothing and waited for what seemed like an eternity, and then Kendall's tongue found his opening, and James nearly lost his grip on reality.

Kendall licked, swirled, and sucked, and James' entire consciousness became focused on that one place, on the sensations Kendall was rousing in him. Then Kendall's spit-slicked finger joined the mix, and James gasped. It had been so long.

"Fuck, you're tight, baby," Kendal said, but his voice was a low growl of approval and James fought to relax. Kendall fumbled around for his fly, and a moment later, James felt a cold dribble of liquid trickle between his cheeks. _Travel lube. _Kendall obviously came prepared, but James couldn't fully process the realization because Kendall added a second finger, pushing in more completely, stretching James further. James gave himself over to the burning sensation, willing himself to open. He wanted this. God, he _needed _this. He couldn't believe how far gone he was already. He bit his lip to keep from whining again.

"Talk to me, James," Kendall demanded, pulling back to nip at the curve of James' ass. "I want to hear what I'm doing to you." Kendall's voice, wrecked with lust, was like a siren's call, and James was compelled to answer.

"It's so good, Kendall. Just like that." He bit his lip against another moan.

"Don't stop yourself," Kendall commanded. "I want to hear those fucking sexy moans. I want to know I'm driving you crazy the way you drive me crazy. I want to know you're as gone for me as I am for you. You understand?"

James nodded. Kendall turned his hand and curved his fingers just slightly, tagging James' prostate and _oh holy fuck_, James couldn't have helped the moan escaping from him even if he'd tried.

"Kendall, Kendall, Kendall," he chanted breathlessly, over and over again, like a mantra, like a prayer. The path to enlightenment was Kendall.

"Who's taking care of you?" Kendall demanded as his fingers continued to move in and out.

"You are!"

"Who owns you?"

Oh. Oh, God. James knew what Kendall wanted, and an electric thrill traveled from his stomach to his dick. They were only words, and he'd said them before. But this time, he hesitated. Every time he spoke them, they meant something more, became more of an expectation. Was that the kind of relationship Kendall really wanted? To own James that completely? Did Kendall even know what he was asking?

Did it matter right now?

Risking meant offering something when there was no guarantee. And already, Kendall _had _given him more than he'd ever been given by any partner. Kendall saw him as strong, even when he felt weak, and somehow seeing himself through Kendall's eyes made him_ stronger_. Diamonds never gave in, but giving Kendall control didn't feel like giving in, it was more like yielding, bending for the moment.

"You do," he replied.

"Yeah, I do," he whispered as he rose to his feet behind James and curled himself over James' back to lay a kiss at his nape. "Yes, I fucking do."

_But for how long? _James banished the thought from his mind almost as quickly as it appeared. He was standing naked, bent over a sofa, with the hottest man he'd ever laid eyes on, in an airplane for the first time in forever. If there was ever a time to live in the moment and not worry about the future, this was it.

Kendall's hand trailed down James' spine once more, and then he reached down for the supplies he'd left on the floor. James heard the rip of the condom wrapper and then felt Kendall's fingers again, slicking his entrance.

"Do it now, Kendall. Now, _please_."

A second later, Kendall was pushing in, stretching him until he was utterly filled.

"Oh, fuck," Kendall moaned.

_Exactly _what James was thinking. He braced his arms harder against the back of the sofa as Kendall's hands found James' hips and held him tightly. Kendall began to move against him, harder and faster, pulling back then filling him up. It was monumental. It was earth-shattering. It was unbelievably perfect.

"James...God, you're so tight. So perfect." The words were mindless, but the low, gravel-filled, lust-wrecked tone travelled straight to James' cock. He let his head hang down and gave himself over to Kendall's movements, bracing them both.

Kendall's hands came up to trace lazy patterns on James' skin as he moved, faster then slower, as though Kendall was mapping his body, laying claim to every inch of his flesh. Up his back, over his shoulders, around to his chest, and then down his stomach. When Kendall was bent over him completely, his warm breath in James' ear, his hand reached for James' cock and slowly began to stroke in time with his thrusts.

No more words needed to be said between them. James let himself become lost completely, a vessel for Kendall's pleasure. Kendall was utterly focused on James, reading every sign of his body as he showed him without words how perfect they could be together.

James bit his lip as the combination of physical pleasure and emotional release built inside him. It was too much, too much for him to hold onto. The steady slap of flesh against flesh filled the air, and James spread his knees further apart, opening himself further.

"Please don't stop," he plead. "Don't stop. Don't ever stop."

"Oh, Christ, James. I won't. I can't. You are the only one, the only person. It's never been like this before. No other. Not ever."

The babbled whispers made James' chest swell. He wanted to be Kendall's _only one_. He wanted to be the only one who could make Kendall this inarticulate and uncontrolled.

Kendall spread his legs and changed the angle of his thrusts so he tagged James' prostate with each pass of his hard cock. James saw stars and felt his body start to sway.

"Hang on, babe. Hang on for me," Kendall told him, stroking him faster.

He wanted to obey Kendall, wanted to wait, but his pleasure was climbing higher with every single movement of the man behind him.

"I'm so close. I'm so close," James began, then moaned as Kendall's hand slapped against his ass.

"You wait for me. You hear me, baby? You don't come until I say. Wait for me."

James bit his lip and his eyes rolled back in his head. He'd never felt sensations like this, layer upon layer, more than he could stand. Had anyone ever known him this well? Had anyone ever understood exactly how to reach him, beyond the perfection of the hand stroking his dick and the exquisite rhythm Kendall had set? Kendall knew how to reach his heart, the part of him that wanted to be taken, owned, _loved_.

"Oh, fuck, James! I'm so close, baby. This ass is perfection. I love the way you wait for me, the way you obey me. The way you give yourself to me so perfectly. Jesus."

James let out a low moan. He couldn't hang on much longer. And then Kendall slid out of him completely and braced his hands on James' hips again.

"Turn over," he said. "And lay down on the couch."

James lay on his back on the leather couch while Kendall hovered over him, sweat-darkened tendrils of his blond hair falling against his forehead and green eyes glowing with need. He allowed Kendall to arrange his pliant limbs exactly as he wanted them, so James' knees were drawn up to his chest and his feet were braced over Kendall's shoulders.

"I want you like this. I want you to see me while I'm fucking you. I want you to look at me when I make you come, And I want you to scream. My. Name."

Before James could process the words, Kendall was sliding back inside him, filling every empty inch of him. Kendall braced himself over Kendall with one hand on the cushions, then bent down to kiss James, sucking his tongue into his mouth.

James reached down to grab his dick, needing more friction, but Kendall slapped his hand away wrapping his own around it instead.

"This is mine now. You come when I tell you, remember?"

Jesus, that should not have sounded as good as it did, but James was beyond caring about what he _should _want and what should turn him on. All he wanted was this man, just like this, forever.

Kendall's thrusts picked up speed, faster and faster, each twist of his hips brushing his cock against James' prostate, making his eyes roll back in his head. He could feel himself reaching the edge and his orgasm barreling towards him.

"Oh, God. Kendall! Please! It's got to be now. You've got to let me!" James' voice was high-pitched with need and lust so acute it was anguish.

Kendall's hand moved faster and faster over James' cock. "Come for me now, babe, and then I'll come for you."

Once again, James' cock obeyed Kendall's orders directly, bypassing his own brain entirely. No sooner had Kendall spoken the words, given his permission, then James was coming, his release shooting over his stomach.

Kendall paused to trail a finger through the evidence of James' pleasure and tasted it. "So fucking sweet, James."

James' sated dick twitched at the blatant approval in his tone, even as Kendall got back to business, moving faster again inside James, chasing his own release. God, the feeling was exquisite-pleasure and pain combined, and James loved the look on Kendall's face as he used James, his green eyes staring down into James' as though James was the most important thing in the universe to him right there and then. _This this this. Forever and ever and ever._

Kendall pulled out of him gently, his hands braced on James' thighs, and then he was ripping off the condom and jerking himself, his release joining James' on his stomach.

He lowered himself over James, plastering their chests together.

They were both panting as if they'd run for miles, smiling at each other like lunatics. James couldn't help but laugh as the satisfied grin on his man's face.

It was silly, it was crazy. The wrong time, the wrong place, with way, way too many unanswered questions for becoming involved with Kendall to be a rational decision. But maybe Kendall was right. Maybe the truest things didn't run on logic, anyway.

* * *

**Done! So...yeah. I think it's safe to say things are pretty good between Kames at the moment. :P**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, as well as if you happened to have a favorite part/moment!**

**Again, I hope you all enjoyed! We're slightly past the halfway mark of this story, so pieces of the puzzle will start coming together soon. The next chapter should be up sometime next week.**

**Until then! :D**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hello everyone! Welcome back to Easy! It's been a little over two weeks since the last chapter was posted, so this is definitely overdue. :P**

**Before we get started, I would like to thank everyone that read last chapter! I would also like to give a huge thank you to winterschild11, Side1ways, Guest, and RainbowDiamonds for reviewing!**

**So, last chapter we left off with Kames heading to St. Brigitte. This chapter pretty much picks up where the last one left off.**

**I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

The plane touched down on the small island of St. Brigitte with no fanfare. When the captain had announced over the loudspeaker that they were preparing for landing, James had done nothing more than shift his hips slightly so Kendall could buckle his seatbelt around him and then leaned back against the cushions with his eyes closed once again. Kendall watched James as he lay sprawled on the couch, his thighs draped over Kendall's lap, but James didn't even seem to notice they were losing altitude until the plane bumped down on the runway and began to slow.

"Smooth landing," Kendall remarked as the plane began to taxi.

James' eyes opened slowly and he gave Kendall a sleepy, knowing smirk. "If you wanna call it that." Kendall rolled his eyes and James laughed. "I can't believe how relaxed I was during that flight."

"You need me to relax you before every flight, Badass? Because I can make arrangements."

"Is that right? I don't know if I could afford you."

"For you? My rates are very, very reasonable. I'll take it out on your ass."

James snickered as if he was half-drunk. Maybe he was. God knew the endorphins cruising through Kendall's bloodstream right now were beyond anything he'd ever achieved with alcohol.

The plane taxied to a halt, and Kendall tried to get his mind in order. The interlude on the plane had been incredible-so amazing it was hard for him to remember this wasn't why he was here.

Not entirely.

But he couldn't lie and say things hadn't changed either. He'd help Ethan get his life back, help figure out who'd _really _caused the crash, but maybe, just maybe, there was a way he could keep James, too.

Kendall sat up straighter. James frowned slightly, but seemed to take his cue, swinging his legs off the sofa and placing his feet on the floor.

Andres arrived to open the cabin door as they finally came to a stop, and Kendall could see the early-evening sunlight gliding the palm trees, the small one-story white and blue hangar, and the white surface of the runway outside the door. He wondered if Ethan would meet him here and now, or whether he'd call him later. Either way, he was confident Ethan had a plan, and since Ethan was most likely here already, Kendall would be ready and waiting to follow his lead.

Kendall reached over to unfasten James' seatbelt, then unfastened his own and stood to stretch, feeling his shirt ride up. He scratched the surface of his stomach absently, feeling the sticky remnants of the mind-blowing orgasms they'd shared only an hour ago. Though he and James had cleaned up as best they could in the tiny bathroom, James hadn't been kidding when he'd said there was no tub on board and it was impossible to get really clean. Still, Kendall couldn't bring himself to care very much-he liked knowing he was wearing evidence on himself, and he liked even better knowing James was, too.

James had started for the doorway, but turned back hesitantly to look at Kendall, as though unsure whether or not he should wait for him. Kendall conjured up a reassuring smile and held out his hand, which James grabbed eagerly. He let James lead him down the steps to the tarmac.

Kendall felt a pang of something he couldn't quite identify as he felt James' hand in his own. In a way, it was everything right and good-which was weird enough in a man who'd shied away from commitment as much as Kendall had during his entire adult life. This thing building between him and James was _real_. He wasn't sure how it had happened, or why, but it was as real as anything else Kendall knew, and he genuinely cared about James more than he'd ever cared about anyone...except Ethan.

"James!" A smiling woman who Kendall vaguely recognized from the ballroom the other night strode forward to greet them with outstretched hands. "It's so very, very good to see you, dear."

"Mrs. Standall," James said, dropping Kendall's hand so he could grip her gently by the arms and lean forward to kiss her cheek. "I didn't expect you to come out to meet us."

"Well," she said in a conspiratorial tone. "I generally don't, but I asked them to alert me when _your _plane would be arriving so I could greet you myself. You've always been one of my favorites. John and I are so glad you were able to make it."

James smiled. Mrs. Standall glanced around, and then back at the plane, as though expecting someone else. "Is your brother not with you?"

"Oh, uh...no. Shane still won't be coming. I'm sorry if that message was mixed up somehow."

Mrs. Standall frowned. "Oh, but I was sure…" She waved a hand dismissively. "Ah, well. Never get old, boys." Her smile was rueful as she turned her attention to Kendall. "And who might you be, young man?"

Kendall grinned. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been called a young man.

James' hand went around Kendall's waist. "This is Kendall Knight."

Kendall could sense the hesitation over how to introduce him-what title to give him. They weren't dating, there was no easy description, so Kendall understood the dilemma, but it annoyed him anyway.

The woman was middle-aged, but stylish in an airy white dress that flowed around her despite the heat and humidity weighing down the air. Her smile was genuine and friendly-far more than Kendall had expected to find in someone who had a charity named after her, but then, Kendall was coming to realize that judging someone based on the size of their bank account was pretty fucking stupid, no matter which side of the income bracket you stood on.

He took the hand Mrs. Standall offered him. "Please, call me Kendall, ma'am." After a brief handshake, he stepped back and wrapped his arm around James in what he knew was a proprietary way. James might not know what to call him, but he wanted there to be no doubt in anyone's mind that for right now, at least, James was _his_.

Mrs. Standall smiled at his display and regarded him with a glint in her eye. "And you must call me Lydia. James is the only one who can't seem to break the habit of calling me by my full name, even now that he's an adult. Let me show you up to the house." She pointed up the hill, to where a large, white stone mansion was just peeking out between a heavy stand of trees. "James, I know you always loved the beach walk. Or maybe you'd rather see the orange trees along the way?"

Kendall didn't want to head to the house immediately. If Ethan was on this island-and Kendall could _sense _that he was close by-he wouldn't be up at the mansion. He was far more likely to have come onto the island as a pilot, a mechanic, or even perhaps a groundskeeper. He turned around and looked back towards the plane, which was being rolled behind the hangar. If he could go and scope out the hangar for just a minute…

Lydia misunderstood his action. She put a hand on his arm to catch his attention and said, "Don't worry about a thing, dear. I'll have Trevor or one of the others bring your bags to the hours for you."

Kendall couldn't turn back or look around after that. Mrs. Standall led them onward, up the path through a lush stand of citrus trees. She pointed out the varieties of oranges, lemons, and limes growing in abundance on the island, and explained how her husband's family had planted the first such trees here generations ago. She explained how the island used to be a great tourist destination, but her husband's father had bought out all the resorts and demolished them.

Kendall stayed a step behind Lydia and James as they walked up the path, and marveled at the way James was able to listen to her conversation and nod seriously when she talked of the positive environmental effects which came with the clean water initiatives, and her pride in her family.

The whole concept of owning an island was like the punchline to a not-very-funny joke in the world Kendall came from. It was almost incomprehensible to him that the man whose ass he'd owned just an hour ago, the man who'd given himself so freely to him, was able to listen and comment intelligently on the potential return on investment of island ownership.

As they walked through the hazy sunshine, Kendall realized they had circled around to approach the house from the rear. The path went up an incline leading to an enormous terrace with a gorgeous view of the turquoise blue Caribbean water. It was unbelievable.

"Several of the others have already arrived. Victor and Mike, the Taylors, the Richmonds, the Blackwells, and the Bishops. Oh, and the Shaws."

James paused in his walk. "Uncle Shaw and Aunt Jenna are already here?"

Lydia nodded. "Oh, yes. They arrived hours ago. Left DC after some hush-hush meetings Deckard can't help talking about. Dak made it down as well. And Arcadia, of course." Lydia's voice had turned faintly disapproving.

"What is Arcadia doing these days?" James wondered.

Lydia raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "Working on her father's re-election campaign," she said, rolling her eyes. "This afternoon at lunch, she regaled me with her new campaign slogan-Restore American Glory."

James frowned. "Sounds like something Uncle Shaw would endorse," he said with a sigh.

Kendall snickered, and James turned to look at him. "What's so funny?"

Kendall waved a hand through the air. "Nothing, nothing." At Lydia and James' unamused stares, he said, "Fine. It's just...Did nobody notice that Restore American Glory spells out RAG?"

James blinked and shook his head, but Lydia's warm smile turned into a genuine grin as she turned to James. "I approve of him, James," she said, winking at Kendall before leading them further on towards the house.

Several people were milling around on the patio-some admiring the view, others deep in conversation, all of them extremely overdressed, as far as Kendall was concerned. The women all wore dresses, the men wore long pants and polo shirts, and Kendall felt somewhat self-conscious of his own jeans and tee, until he recalled James himself was wearing an even scruffier outfit. Every person on the patio carried a drink in his or her hand like armor against tedious conversation. _Socialites in the wild_, he thought. _I wonder if they hunt in packs._

"I'll let you say your hellos and grab a drink," Lydia said quietly. "But don't feel like you need to stay for too long. You've only just arrived and I know you'll want to rest yourselves. Dinner tonight will be informal, and don't be afraid to ask someone to bring some light refreshments to your room if you'd rather not join us."

_Thank God. _Kendall couldn't imagine staying a minute longer than he had to.

James shook his head. "Not necessary. I'm sure everyone has plenty to do already."

"Nonsense!" she scolded. "You know John and I always hire plenty of extra hands when we host these festivities."

"And it's smart thinking, too," said in a gruff voice behind them. "Labor on the island is dirt cheap."

Kendall stiffened and turned to see Senator Shaw bearing down on them, drink in hand. His smiling eyes were fixed on James, his sandy hair damp with sweat. A tall, young black-haired man wearing sunglasses followed in his wake. He looked to be about the same age as James and Kendall, give or take a couple years. And Kendall had admit that he was hot, if you went for the whole Terminator-look.

James smiled, and Kendall wondered if the senator noticed how forced the expression was. Maybe he didn't care.

It was strange how clearly he could read James after such a short time...and even stranger how protective he felt.

Still, when Senator Shaw winked and stuck out his meaty paw for James to shake, James didn't hesitate.

"Uncle Shaw," he said. "It's good to see you again."

"And you, my boy, and you! It's wonderful that you've managed to peel yourself from Diamond Tech for the weekend. You might remember my assistant Jake Ryan?" He lifted his free hand over his shoulder, indicating the tall man, whose grim expression didn't change.

Before James could reply, Lydia gave Shaw a gimlet glare and interrupted. "Deckard Shaw, I'll have you know I pay the locals the same rate that I pay the catering staff I brought over from the States. _Island labor is dirt cheap_. Do you ever listen to yourself? And don't you dare launch into one of your campaign speeches. No politics this weekend."

"Oh, alright," Shaw sighed. He gave James an affable grin. "Jenna warned me of the same thing on the flight over. It's an occupational hazard." He took a sip of his drink and shot James another quick wink. Then he glanced at Kendall and his smile dimmed somewhat. He held out his hand.

"I don't know if we've met. Deckard Shaw."

"Kendall Knight," Kendall said, taking his hand. The senator's grip was damp, and a good deal firmer than necessary. The man held on for several beats, as though waiting for Kendall to yield, and Jake seemed poised to intervene. Kendall barely refrained from rolling his eyes. Next, they'd be whipping their dicks out to compare sizes.

"I'm sorry," James said, jumping into the fray. "Kendall, this is Senator Deckard Shaw, my honorary uncle, I guess you could say. Uncle Shaw, this is Kendall. My date this weekend." And to Kendall's shocked delight, James wrapped an arm around his waist as though daring the senator to comment.

Shaw's eyes turned shrewd and his lips pursed as if the drink in his hand had suddenly turned sour. Kendall bit back the urge to laugh.

"And what do you do, Mr. Knight?" Shaw asked.

Kendall wrapped his own arm around James' back, settling James against his side. "Oh, various things," he hedged. He was fairly certain if he announced himself to be an FBI agent, the news would travel around this gathering faster than wildfire. Besides which, his status as an agent was tenuous at best at the moment. "Right now, I'm enjoying some time off."

Shaw's eyes turned a fraction colder. "And how do you know James?"

Kendall hesitated, unsure of what James might have told the Standalls while making arrangements for the trip, but James stepped in immediately. "Kendall and I met at a charity function a while back," he said smoothly.

Kendall squeezed his waist in approval.

"Well, then we'll have to get to know you," Shaw said. His words were friendly enough, but his tone carried a distinct warning. "I'll ask Jenna to have you over to the house for dinner sometime once we get back." He glanced at Jake. "Make a note."

Jake nodded. "Yes, sir," he said in a faint drawl.

James nodded and Kendall managed to smile politely.

Lydia rolled her eyes. "I don't think James needs your blessing on his boyfriend," she said dryly.

"What? That's nonsense. I just want to know more about the young man James will be spending time with," Shaw said, cheeks turning red. "The boy is practically one of my own!"

Kendall stifled a snort. _Bullshit. _Shaw was no father to James-he could tell James didn't even like the guy. Maybe if James' father was alive, James might care about his approval, but as far as Kendall was concerned, he didn't care what anyone else though. James was his whether or not the blustering Senator condoned their relationship. Kendall fought the sudden desire to kiss James right then and there, and wished for a moment he'd marked him up in the plane.

"Lydia Standall, what are you saying to make my husband blush?" A pretty, middle-aged redhead in a sleeveless white dress strolled up to Shaw's side, along with a guy that looked to be around the same age as Kendall and James and looked miserably warm in a long-sleeved button-down shirt and khaki pants. The woman leaned forward to give James a kiss on the cheek. "James, sweetheart, so good to see you."

"Your husband was about to ask James' boyfriend his intentions," Lydia said archly.

The redhead's mouth gaped in surprise as she turned to Kendall. "Boyfriend?" she repeated, looking back and forth from James to Kendall. "Really?"

"I...well…" James stammered, straightening slightly at Kendall's side. "It's...we're…"

"Yes, boyfriend," Kendall said, his hand around James' back tightening slightly until James was pressed against him again, right where he belonged. James glanced over at him in surprise, but then smiled and his own hand tightened on Kendall's waist.

"Kendall Knight," he told the woman, holding out his hand to shake.

The woman blinked, but held out her hand mechanically. "Jenna Shaw," she said, as though surprised to hear herself speaking the words. She took her hand back quickly.

"And Kendall, this is Dak Zevon. I guess he'd be my honorary...cousin?" James asked dubiously, as though he'd never really thought about that before.

Kendall held out his hand for the man, who gripped it briefly, as though Kendall was possibly contagious or on fire.

Lydia rolled her eyes and shot Kendall a look that said she was exasperated by the whole proceeding.

James cleared his throat. "Dak. Good to see you. You're looking well."

The guy blushed and nodded. He managed to squeak out, "Yeah, uh...thanks. You too."

Kendall realized belatedly that this was the Shaws' adopted son that James had told him about. And quickly on the heels of that, he recalled James saying he and Dak had dated briefly, once upon a time. _Honorary cousin, my ass. _Kendall couldn't wait to give James shit for that later.

Kendall's gaze on Dak turned assessing.

Dak was undeniably handsome. With dark hair, enticing eyes, and a strong jaw, his perfect face was the kind often featured on magazine covers. He seemed startled and uncomfortable to find someone had noticed him, and his gaze darted back and forth from James to his mother and father, like he wasn't sure how to behave.

"Are you still in school?" James asked.

"Uh, yeah. Second-year law," he confirmed. "Vanderbilt."

"Oh, that's right. I remember. Good for you," James said. To Kendall, he added, "The Shaws used to live up in Boston, but they moved south a few years ago."

"Better quality of life," Shaw informed them. "Gorgeous mountains, clean air."

"And a senator who was planning his retirement at exactly the right time," Lydia interjected.

"Lydia!" Jenna exclaimed repressively.

If not for the fact that the charged atmosphere had made his training kick in, Kendall would have burst out laughing. James coughed and looked at the ground while Dak became fascinated by the sight of his own shoes. Shaw merely arched a brow at Lydia, as if he expected no less from her.

"That is _not _the reason we moved," Jenna explained to Kendall with a trembling voice. "We wanted better opportunities for our children! Better schools and better influences."

Though Dak's gaze was still pointed downward, Kendall saw a muscle in his jaw flex, like he was clenching it hard. Kendall recalled James saying Dak would likely never be able to come out to his parents, and wondered whose bad _influences _he'd had in Boston.

Poor guy. He made a mental note to ask James about it later.

"And, uh, Cady?" James said, once again venturing into the awkward silence that descended.

"Oh, Arcadia!" Jenna said, her eyes lighting up. "She's here, too. Probably already talking someone's ear off about her father, securing some donations."

James nodded. "That's great."

"It _is _great," Jenna enthused. "Oh, you and Cady used to have _so _much in common, James. Remember back when you two were an item?"

James' fingers squeezed Kendall's hip. "Er…" he hedged. "It was a long, long time ago."

"Yes, but some things never change!" Jenna said. Her smile was bright and hopeful. "Maybe she can save you a dance tomorrow night and you two can reminisce!"

Kendall frowned. Dak glanced at Kendall, his eyes full of sardonic humor. Kendall gave a tiny shake of his head. His annoyance dissipated under a wave of sympathy for Dak.

Growing up as he had, Kendall couldn't believe he'd ever look with sympathy at someone like Dak, who'd essentially been raised in the lap of luxury. Kendall had always wanted a family of his own, wished he had parents and siblings to look out for him, but now he had to amend that wish. He couldn't imagine growing up in a family where you had to hide part of yourself to fit in with someone's career ambitions or deluded ideals.

When he'd come out to Craig Henderson-an event precipitated by Craig catching him kissing his next-door-neighbor Luke behind the garage one sweltering summer afternoon just after he'd turned seventeen-there had been no question about whether or not Craig accepted him (he hadn't). There also hadn't been any questions as to whether Kendall would hide his sexuality to please the Hendersons (not a chance in hell).

For the first time, Kendall felt as though maybe he'd had a certain amount of freedom in growing up that way. Money seemed to bring a shit ton of posturing.

"Excuse me, please. I'm really quite thirsty," Dak gritted out, then squeezed between James and Lydia without saying another word and headed for the small bar set up on one side of the patio.

"I could use a drink, too." Kendall squeezed James' shoulder. "Come with me?"

James nodded, but before they could turn around, an older woman on the far side of the patio squealed, "James! Oh, darling!" and made a bee-line for them.

James hesitated. "That's Alice Stetson, Jett's mom," he told Kendall. "I need to-"

"It's okay. I'll bring you something." Kendall promised, trailing his fingers over the nape of James' neck before he moved away, and loving the way the banked fire in James' eyes instantly kindled into something hotter.

Kendall moved through the crowd, ignoring the curious glances from the men and women he passed. At the bar, he ordered two beers. He could have used something stronger, but he also wanted to keep his wits about him, just in case Ethan made contact.

His eyes circled the patio, paying careful attention to the man and women who were carrying drinks and setting up platters of fruit and snacks, but Ethan wasn't among them. He tamped down his impatience.

"So, you're James' boyfriend." Kendall turned his head to see Dak standing by the bar, his hand wrapped around a glass of brown liquid. Apparently, Dak had went straight to the hard stuff.

"Yeah," Kendall said, and Dak nodded slowly.

"That's...good. He deserves to be happy." A beat passed before he continued. "He tell you about, uh…" Dak cocked his head and shrugged.

"Yeah, a little. Long time ago, wasn't it?"

"It was another life," Dak said bleakly, giving Kendall a sidelong glance.

Kendall dug a bill out of his wallet and left it in the tip jar, then picked up the beers that the bartender set in front of him. "Well, you can rest assured, anything James told me isn't something I'd share."

Dak nodded again. "I figured. James is a good guy." Dak's voice was low and serious. "He's never brought anyone to one of these before," he said, raising his glass to encompass the patio and the low murmur of cultured conversation. "Not sure whether to be glad for him or sad for you."

Kendall chuckled. "I would've thought this stuff would be easier if you weren't born into it."

"Hmm. You thought wrong," Dak responded. He turned to look at the crowd and saw Jenna heading in their direction, practically dragging a pretty girl about Dak's age. He sighed and tossed back the remainder of his drink. "I just remembered something I need to do."

"I doubt she'll ask, but if she does, I'll say I haven't seen you," Kendall promised.

Dak smiled. "I owe you one." He started to leave before stopping and turning back towards Kendall. "Take care of him, okay?"

Kendall was caught off guard, but quickly recovered. "Of course."

As soon as Dak was out of sight, Kendall made his way through the crowd back to James, his shoulders tense in a way he hadn't expected. He'd blended seamlessly with the crowd last Friday night, but here, as James' _boyfriend_, everything was different. He hadn't been putting on a facade, and kept forgetting he wasn't here to mingle.

He wound his way through the crowd and saw Lydia was talking to the cool, elegant brunette James had identified as Alice Stetson, while James stood nearby, speaking to the man Kendall remembered from the other night as Jett Stetson, James' ex-boyfriend. Jealousy rippled through Kendall's chest.

Jett certainly looked the part of the young, rich guy. He was wearing chinos which didn't appear to have a single wrinkle, a tight polo shirt showing off a fairly muscular chest, and canvas boat shoes. _Too bad he's an asshole._

Kendall approached them from the side, and neither one seemed to notice him, so he hung back for a moment, watching them. Jett was speaking in a low voice, his hand slashing through the air as he made a point. James' arms were crossed over his chest, his cheeks flushed either with anger or embarrassment. Kendall imagined himself landing a firm punch to the exact corner of Jett's jaw, and if the asshole was saying something nasty to James again, Kendall would take great pleasure in it. He was confident he could take him down without a problem.

"But who _is _he, James? God, you don't know a thing about him, and you're already bringing him around to parties and introducing him to people! Don't be fooled. I'm sorry, I really am, but...this isn't real. He's using you."

Kendall felt a spurt of anger-both at Jett for being an ass, and because the ass actually had a point. Kendall had definitely planned to use James, _had _used him, in fact, but they were more than that.

"What's going on, gentlemen?" Kendall asked, stepping forward and looking from one to the other.

James shook his head again. "Later," he murmured, his voice low.

Kendall glanced at him with one eyebrow raised, a silent code for _Can I hit him?_

James read him instantly, the way he had from their very first meeting, and some of the tension left his face. His lips even quirked up slightly. "Kendall, you remember Jett from the other night?"

Kendall took a slow sip of his beer and narrowed his eyes, implying Jett wasn't that memorable. Jett huffed.

"Oh, right. I remember that noise." Kendall attempted to look innocent, but he was pretty sure the way he was glaring at Jett gave him away.

James' arm snaked beneath Kendall's shirt to wrap around his waist, and Kendall felt his temper cool just slightly.

"Is there a problem here?" Kendall challenged Jett.

"You tell me," Jett said. "Does James even know who you really are? Does he know why you're here?"

Kendall's heart stuttered for a second, before he realized Jett must be-_had to be_-bluffing. Nobody knew why he was really here except for Ethan, not even James.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kendall said.

Jett sighed. "I didn't want to have to tell you this, Jay, because I don't want to see you hurt. I got all this information from Kelly as soon as I heard he was coming with you, and I ran a background check. He's-"

"Kendall Knight," James spat in a whisper to make it clear he was done with this conversation. "I know he works for the FBI. _And _I know why he's here."

Kendall watched Jett's head jerk back slightly in shock which mirrored Kendall's own. If Jett had done a _thorough _check, he might know of Kendall's relationship with Ethan, and he felt a moment of heart-stopping panic at the idea of James finding out this way. James was _his_. Kendall never had anyone who was _his _besides his brother. Somehow this guy had burrowed under his skin in a very short time, and it was…

_Terrifying._

"Wait," Jett said. "Do you know _everything _about him?"

James frowned, and his gaze flashed to Kendall. _What else have you been hiding?_

Lydia put a hand on Jett's arm. "I'm sorry to interrupt," she told Jett. "But James and Kendall only just arrived, and I want to show them to their room so they can freshen up before dinner."

"I'll walk with you," Jett offered, angry eyes on Kendall.

"Not necessary," James said. "We'll talk more later."

He turned and smiled at Lydia, who led them away. The crowd of guests parted before her. Kendall put a hand at the small of James' back as they followed, and prayed nobody else stopped them. His patience was at an end.

"Wasn't _that _a lovely introduction for your young man?" Lydia snorted as they passed through a sliding glass door and into the house. "Meeting the Shaws _and _the Stetsons, or at least one of them. Truly a trial by fire."

James made a humming noise. "They're not usually so bad."

Lydia snorted and looked over her shoulder. "Oh, yes they are. Alice was always a little high-strung, though she hasn't been quite the same since the crash, and then the divorce. Same could be said for Jett, I suppose." She sighed. "Deckard and Jenna were better when your mother was here, James. She was a civilizing influence on them. But Deckard has always been a pompous prick, and Jenna lives in a fantasy world. I feel bad for poor Dak. There's potential there, but he needs to reach out and seize it. He's too frightened to anger his father or shatter his mother's dream world."

James said nothing.

"I'm not gossiping," she assured Kendall with another backwards glance. "I'd say this to their faces."

Kendall gave her a distracted half-smile, his thoughts still focused on Jett's almost-revelation. Every rational brain cell was screaming that he should explain things to James immediately or risk losing him, but something entirely _irrational _held him back. If he explained things now, would he lose James anyway?

Before he confessed everything to James, there were other, more important things he needed the man to know.

Lydia led them through a lavishly appointed living area and up the curving white staircase at the center of the house. "I put you two in the room all the way at the end of the east wing. It's the smallest room in the house," she apologized, "but it's also the closest to the back stairs, and the-"

"Beach walk," James said with a soft smile. "I remember."

Lydia flashed him a grin. "Exactly." They strolled along the hallway and arrived at the room. She threw open the door, then stood back and gave the two of them a stern frown. "Now. I don't expect to see either of you again for the rest of the evening."

"You're sure?" James asked Lydia.

"Very, very sure. I want you to enjoy yourselves." She gave James a wink and pressed a friendly hand to Kendall's arm. "I expect someone's already brought your bags up. Go show your gentleman the beach and cove, James. Just stick to the beach path and don't go wandering the grounds unless you want to be attacked by rabid socialites."

James nodded and wandered into the room, while Kendall turned to watch Lydia depart.

He hadn't imagined he could have so much in common with someone who owned an island, but this was turning out to be a week of revelations.

* * *

**Done! So Kames are officially on the island! But so is Jett, who seems to know what Kendall is hiding.**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, as well as if you happened to have a favorite part/moment!**

**Again, I hope you all enjoyed! I promise you won't have to wait as long for the next chapter. It'll probably be up next weekend, early next week at the latest.**

**Until then! :D**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hello again everyone! Welcome back to Easy! :D**

**Before we get started, I would like to thank everyone that read last chapter! I would also like to give a huge thank you to winterschild11, Guest, Side1ways, and RainbowDiamonds for reviewing!**

**So, it looks like the Shaws are universally hated by you all, except for Dak, who a couple of you liked and who you may or may not see more of. :P This chapter picks up where the last one left off.**

**I hope you all enojy!**

* * *

Kendall walked into the room and shut the door behind him with no small amount of unease.

James had heard enough from Jett to suspect Kendall was still keeping secrets, and Kendall expected an angry tirade the moment the door closed, complete with yelling and demands. Instead, he found James kneeling beside his suitcase, pulling out a pair of swim trunks and sandals.

Kendall licked his lips. "James-"

"Let's go to the beach. Grab your swim trunks," James said, dropping his shorts quickly. "And I've got some sunblock and stuff in my kit. I can already feel myself burning."

Kendall frowned. "Yeah, fine. In a minute. First-"

"No. Now," James insisted, yanking on his trunks. "While there's still light." He wouldn't meet Kendall's eyes, and Kendall would be damned if he'd accept that.

He grabbed James around the waist and pushed him against one of the tall mahogany bedpost. He saw his own uncertainty reflected in James' stunning hazel eyes, and it slayed him.

He needed to reassure James.

Hell, he needed to reassure himself.

"You calling the shots today, Badass?" he whispered, trailing his free hand over James' cheek and down his jaw to cup his neck.

James shivered and swallowed hard, but didn't reply.

"Listen to me first, for just a second. Out there, beyond the door, there are a million things happening, Jay. Things to test us. Things wanting to destroy us. Things that make the idea of us being together seem impossible," Kendall said, staring into James' eyes. "But here, in this room? That shit is background noise. There's only you and me. Are you with me?"

Kendall leaned closer, hand digging into James' hip, and opening his mouth over the spot on James' neck where his pulse beat rapidly. He sucked gently, not hard enough to leave a mark, though every instinct told him to.

"Okay," James said softly. "Okay."

Kendall's eyes shut, and he leaned his forehead against James' shoulder for a second as wild, heady relief swamped him.

"Okay," Kendall repeated.

Then he lifted his head and laid claim to James' mouth. His hands found James' hips, holding him in place while Kendall's tongue licked against the seam of his lips. James moaned, his lips parting slightly, and Kendall accepted the invitation, delving his tongue inside to tangle alongside James' own with a measured thoroughness. He wanted James to remember this, no matter what happened between them later, wanted to ruin James for any other kisses.

Then James' arms came up to wrap around Kendall's neck, pulling them even more tightly together. The surprise of it, of knowing James was feeling even a fraction of what Kendall felt, made Kendall's heart lurch painfully.

James writhed against his hold, returning every bite and moan, measure for measure, until Kendall knew he'd been claimed every bit as thoroughly as he had James.

He was James'.

James was his.

He smiled ruefully as he pulled back, pressing one more chaste kiss to James' lips. The problem with acknowledging someone was _yours _was that you had to find a way to _keep_ them.

"_Now _we go to the beach, Badass," Kendall said gently. He stepped away to find his own trunks, adjusting himself to somewhat conceal his burgeoning erection. He smiled slightly when James continued to lean against the bedpost in a daze.

Kendall slipped the burner phone into his pocket, grabbed James' toiletry bag and a couple of towels, then held out his hand to James, who deliberately slid his palm against Kendall's, twining their fingers together.

They stepped into the hall, and James locked the door behind them, pocketing the small key that had been left in the lock. He ushered Kendall down a flight of stairs next to their room, and out through a side door. A hedgerow screened them from the view of the revelers still out on the patio as they cut across the side lawn and took a well-worn path over the rocky ledge and down a set of stone steps leading to the beach below.

The water was calm in this small cove, though they could hear the surf breaking on the rocks just beyond. The setting sun was sinking from the sky. Kendall remembered reading somewhere this was the golden hour, and he truly understood it for the first time. The wet rocks and placid water seemed to burn with liquid fire, and even the air shimmered around them.

James still held on to his hand as they crossed the stony beach and ducked through a stone archway to a more secluded sandy stretch of seashore beyond.

"It's like an entirely separate world," Kendall mused, leaning in and placing a gentle kiss on James' cheek. He couldn't hear any noise from the party, not a single airplane streaked across the sky. It felt as though they were completely cut off from everyone, and Kendall took his first deep breath in hours.

"Mmm. I used to love it here," James said. He braced a hand against Kendall's arm and closed his eyes, breathing in the saltwater scent that surrounded them. His brown hair was red-tinged in the sunlight, his skin flushed and warm, and the sight of him made Kendall's chest ache. "When I was a kid, I'd bring a book and come here to read, but I never ended up reading. I'd sit and watch the water and make wishes."

He could imagine that-James as a kid, needing to get away and find some peace. Kendall had been much the same.

"What did you wish for?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

James shrugged. "All the usual things, I guess. To be successful. Possibly a superhero." He chuckled. "To have whatever guy I had a crush on fall madly in love with me." He grinned as he threw himself down on his butt in the sand, his eyes on the water, their towels and the case with the sunblock dropped haphazardly in a pile beside him.

Kendall hesitated for a second, then threw himself down next to James. The sand was damp and chilly, and he fought the urge to squirm. The phone was a hard lump digging into his ass. "When I was a kid I wished for a family-a loud, boisterous family. And money. Lots of money."

James glanced at him and nodded. "Makes sense, I guess. We always want what we don't have."

"Jay, you know I don't give a shit about your money, right?" Kendall blew out a breath. "Frankly, I think it would be easier if you didn't have any."

"What would?" James' eyes were wide and Kendall looked away, rubbing his palms on the legs of his shorts.

"This. Us." He felt like an idiot. The words he wanted to use-_relationship, future, together_-were so incredibly silly. They'd known each other for _days_.

James also turned away to look at the water, but Kendall could hear the change in his breathing-fast, short pants, as though he was doing something way more strenuous than sitting watching the surf. He could practically hear James' mind whirring, too.

"Wanna play a game?" Kendall asked.

James huffed out a laugh. "Why not? More 'Never Have I Ever'?" He darted a quick glance at Kendall. "Be careful, though. The more time I spend with you, the shorter the list of things I've never done seems to get."

Kendall chuckled. "No Jameson today, anyway. Let's stick to the classic Truth or Dare."

James was silent for a moment, rubbing his lips together in a way that was totally distracting. Then he nodded. "Alright. I'll take the dare."

Kendall laughed again. "I thought you were supposed to hear the question first, Badass. But whatever. I can work with this. I dare you to go back to the party and kiss this Arcadia person I keep hearing about."

James gave him a look of such utter disdain, Kendall laughed out loud. "So that's a no?"

"That's a _hell _no."

"So, does that mean you now have to answer the question?" Kendall wondered, grinning. "How do our games get so ass-backward?"

"Now _that _is a good question," James sighed, shaking his head. "Fine. What do you want to know?"

"If you could have anything right now, what would it be?"

James seemed startled. "Wow. You're driving right in with he tough ones, huh?"

"Well, I don't think we've really gone easy on each other this week, have we? It's been high-stakes, from the very beginning." Kendall's tone was light, but he knew the words he spoke were true.

"High-stakes, maybe," James agreed. "But in some ways, it's still been...easy." He frowned, and Kendall understood why. It was _scary _how easy this was, and part of him couldn't help wondering when the other shoe would drop.

James snagged a folded towel from the pile and placed it behind him as a pillow. He lay back with his hands folded on his stomach, staring up at the blue sky for a minute, giving careful consideration to Kendall's question.

"Probably to be someone who wasn't me? Someone who wasn't a Diamond, I mean. I love my family, but…" He rolled on his side to face Kendall and shrugged. "You probably figured money would solve all your problems. Sometimes I wish I could get rid of mine."

Kendall nodded. "You know, this time a week ago, I wouldn't have believed it. Not about you, or anyone. I get it now. Sometimes money causes more problems than it solves. But Jay, I can't begin to describe to you what it's like growing up without any. How many people think you're a lower life form because you can't afford name-brand whatever, or assume the reason you're poor is because you're lazy or weak or stupid. It's hard to fight back against that, when adults _and _their kids treat you that way. Rick kid doesn't get the question, teacher explains again. Poor kid doesn't get it, it's because he's slacking. Stupid stuff on its own, but it's like water torture, picking away at you."

"You grew up mostly in Johnsville, right?" James sounded hesitant, as if knowing Kendall would freak if he began asking more questions.

Kendall rubbed a hand over his face. He didn't want to hide from James anymore.

"Is this my question?" he teased.

James flopped back down and put his forearm up to shade his eyes from the light as he looked at Kendall. "Yeah."

Kendall didn't hesitate. "Yep. In the not-so-nice part. It's where my last and longest foster family, the Hendersons, lived. It was a one-story house with two bedrooms, so Ethan and I shared."

"Ethan, your brother?" James ventured.

"Ethan Schmidt, my brother," Kendall confirmed, holding his breath as he waited for James to recognize the name, to ask questions.

But James only nodded and looked back up at the sky. "Your turn."

"Truth or Dare?" Kendall asked.

James rolled his eyes. "I'm over the dares. Ask the question."

Kendall's mind churned. He wanted to know _everything_. He wanted to know more about James' family, about his plans for the future, about his feelings for Kendall, whatever those might be. A voice in the back of his mind reminded him he should find out more about Shane, for Ethan's sake, but he rejected that almost immediately.

"What scares you the most?" he asked, instead. "Besides flying."

James pursed his lips, looking thoughtful, and Kendall felt his heart squeeze almost painfully. He loved this about James-the way he made sure things were true before he said them, like he took Kendall's thoughts seriously and wanted to give him an honest answer.

"Jett says I get scared of emotions. Since the crash. I run from things when they get real."

Kendall's lingering annoyance at Jett flared to life. "That's what _Jett _thinks. What do _you _think?"

James shrugged. "I don't know. Honestly, I think he's right, because I've thrown myself into work. I stopped doing things I used to want to do."

"You've been grieving," Kendall pointed out. "And you've taken on a pretty huge responsibility at Diamond Tech."

"Yeah. I also ended things about Jett and me pretty easily though, and I haven't dated anyone seriously since him."

"Well, Jett's kind of a douchebag, so I don't know if it was fear so much as good judgment," Kendall said.

James laughed, and the sunlight played over the defined muscles of his abs, the planes of his toned chest. Christ, the man was gorgeous. Kendall had to look away again, pretending the water was fascinating.

"Fair point," James responded. "But, should I have tried harder? Was I running away because things got real?"

"Did you love him?" Kendall's chest was tight as he asked the question, but James' answer was immediate and unequivocal.

"No. Never. Not like that, anyway. I _did _love him, but more as a friend. Or another brother, almost. But I wonder if maybe I sensed _he _loved _me_. Maybe it scared me subconsciously."

"He didn't."

James turned to look at him in surprise. "How do you know? I mean, you've seen him at his worse. He's not always a jerk."

"Nah." Kendall shook his head firmly, completely confident. "Maybe he loved you, but he wasn't _in _love with you. Not really. Not the all-in kind of love."

"And you know this how?" James' voice was amused.

"Because if he had, he wouldn't have _let _ you run." He felt James' eyes on his face and he took a deep breath before turning to meet them. Their gazes locked and the words were pulled from his stomach. "_I _wouldn't let you run."

James' nostrils flared, eyes wide, as he parsed Kendall's words. He shook his head slowly. "I don't want you to, either. I'm trying not to."

"You've been thinking about it?" Kendall clenched his hands into fists because he wanted to reach for James, right then and there, crush him against his chest, hold him in place.

James swallowed and glanced down. "I have some trust issues, I guess. Comes with the name. And then the thing with Shane…" He glanced up at Kendall. "Anyway, I'm trying. I said I'd give you a second chance, and I am, but it's...a lot," he whispered. "And I know you still have secrets. What's the phone about, Kendall? What's this investigation about, if it's not _work_? Does that mean it's personal? Because it seems really personal. I know it's not all classified FBI bullshit, either." His voice took on a warning edge, cautioning Kendall not to play that card again. "For one thing, the FBI has plenty of ways onto this island which don't involve _me_."

Kendall huffed out a breath, opened his mouth to say..._something_, but James cut him off.

"I want to know. I really do. But tell me not because I'm asking, or giving you an ultimatum. I need you to tell me because _you _want to, _when _you want to. Does that make sense?"

It made a scary amount of sense. He wanted Kendall to show him the same trust he'd been showing since their very first meeting. But the truth about Ethan, what they'd learned about the plane crash-weren't entirely Kendall's secrets to share.

He ran a hand over his jaw, feeling the rough stubble against his palm, and mentally cursed his brother. Where the hell was Ethan? Why hadn't he made contact? The familiar anger was creeping back. Ethan had disappeared from his life a _year _ago, and now Kendall's loyalty to his brother was fucking things up with James.

Kendall _himself _was fucking things up with James.

He exhaled. "James," he began. But once again, James stopped him from speaking.

"It can wait, is what I'm trying to tell you. I…" James sucked in a breath. "I'm going to _trust you _to tell me when you can. I won't wait forever, not even for very long. But a little longer, perhaps long enough. Okay?"

"Just like that?" Kendall whispered.

"Uh…" James chuckled slightly. "No. there's no _just like that _about this. It's really, really hard for me. But I think you're worth it. This..._us_, is worth it."

Kendall was suddenly overwhelmed by emotion. God, the strength in this man, _his man_, was humbling. It brought Kendall to his knees.

It came to him like a burst of sunlight off the water. He needed to _show _James, to demonstrate in some small way how much he _did _trust him, and how James was worth _everything _to him, too.

Kendall scrambled to his feet and held out a hand for James. "Come on."

James looked from Kendall to the water and back again. "But we haven't even gone in the water yet."

"We can do it later. Come on." Kendall hefted James to his feet, then dipped down to grab the bag and towels.

"Is everything okay?" James asked as Kendall practically pulled him up the steps and along the path to the house. "Seriously, Kendall, slow down and talk to me here. What's the hurry?"

Kendall spun James around when they reached the house and pushed him up against the cool surface of the building, caging him in with his body.

"The hurry is...I want to fuck you right now, and I want to get you up to our room as quickly as possible. That okay with you?"

James' eyes widened and his gaze flickered to Kendall's mouth.

Oh, the temptation. But Kendall knew if he started kissing James now, in five minutes they'd be fucking against the house in front of everyone. And honest to God, even _that _wouldn't have deterred him if they had lube and a condom handy.

"Yeah," James breathed. "That's absolutely fine with me."

Kendall smiled, even though he was pretty sure it was more like a grimace. His erection was pressing uncomfortably against the fabric of his shorts in a way that was quickly becoming unbearable. "Get your ass upstairs, then," he said, and when James turned to do just that, he couldn't resist swatting the man right on his perfect ass.

He sprinted up the stairs after James, following the sound of his soft laughter.

James unlocked their room and threw open the door, tossing the key onto a small dresser, then turned to watch Kendall.

"Now what?" he asked breathlessly.

Kendall carefully closed the door, locked it behind him, then stalked towards James, throwing the towels and bag to the floor. He backed James against the tall post at the foot of the bed again and wrapped his hands around James' waist. "Now, I'm going to put my mouth on you."

James sucked in a breath and lifted his hands to reach around Kendall's neck while Kendall devoured his mouth. He loved the way James felt against him, and he shifted his hips, pushing his hardness against James' stomach, and felt him shiver with excitement.

Kendall grazed his mouth lower, hitting the spot between James' neck and shoulder that he knew drove the man crazy. He licked and sucked right there, just over the faint mark remaining from what they'd done earlier, feeling something enormous bubbling up through his chest at the sight. James threw back his head and moaned, and Kendall felt his dick twitching in his trunks. Like Pavlov's dog, he'd already been conditioned to respond to that sound, and he loved it.

One of Kendall's hands roamed down to palm James through his shorts. James was already hard, and responded to the stroke with a needy gasp which made Kendall sink to his knees and strip James' shorts down lightning-fast. Then James was in his mouth, the taste of him on Kendall's tongue.

It was like last week but _better_, because he _knew _James now, and knew he'd do everything possible to make sure they had tonight, tomorrow, and all the nights after that.

James' hands were threading through Kendall's hair, his fingertips strong on Kendall's head, and Kendall loved that, too.

Tonight wasn't about asserting dominance. He had achieved that earlier, and it had been awesome. Kendall loved knowing James didn't submit because he was weak, but because he craved Kendall's control and was strong enough to yield to that want. Now he wanted to show James something different.

He gave one last enthusiastic pull, then broke off, ignoring James' whimper.

"Shhh. I don't want you to come like this," Kendall said against James' ear. "I want something else, baby. Now be a good boy and stay right here while I get what we need from my bag, and then you're going to give it to me."

It hadn't been a question, but James nodded anyway, panting. He wrapped his hands around the post behind him obediently. "If you need condoms and lube, they're in the kit by the door," he offered, as Kendall went to kneel by his suitcase.

Kendall glanced up at him in surprise and switched directions, grabbing the kit off the floor. "You brought condoms and lube to the beach?"

James shrugged. "I thought they might be necessary." He frowned. "Wait, is that why you dragged me up here?"

"Maybe." Kendall gave him a smile as he threw the kit on the bed. "But that's okay. Sex on sand is one of those things that sounds better than it really is." He shuddered.

James huffed in frustration. "I wouldn't have cared."

Kendall's smile became a full-on grin. He shucked his trunks, throwing the stupid burner phone on the nightstand, and grabbed James' hand, pulling him around to the side of the bed.

"But you won't be the one on the bottom this time." He threw himself down to lie on his back in the center of the bed.

James blinked, and then blinked again. "What?"

Kendall unzipped the bag and found the lube and condoms right on top. _Bonus points to James for efficiency_. He threw the bag on the floor and pressed the supplies into James' hand.

"I thought maybe this time you'd want to…" He tilted his head to the side and, as always, James understood him without words.

His eyes flew wide. "Me? You want _me _to…"

Kendall nodded. "Yeah. Oh, yeah. But only if you want to."

"No! I mean, yes! I do. I mean, most guys assume I don't. But I didn't think you...I mean, we never really discussed it, but I got the impression you didn't like to bottom?" James was alternately looking down at the lube in his hand as though it held the secrets of the universe, and staring at Kendall's face like he was trying to read Kendall's mind and make sure he was _really _okay with this. It was adorable.

"I must admit, I haven't had the best experience with it," Kendall admitted, stacking his hands beneath his head on the bed. "I'm not sure I can do it without being bossy, and honestly? I wasn't sure whether you'd actually want me this way."

"But then, why?" James put his knee on the mattress and leaned over Kendall, running one hand up from Kendall's stomach to his chest. "You don't have to."

Kendall put his own hand over James' where it rested against his heart. "I _want _to," he said.

James seemed to receive the message, because his eyes turned a few shades darker. He knelt beside Kendall and ran his fingertips across Kendall's skin. Kendall shivered. He reached up a hand to touch James' hair and then traced his fingertips around the shell of James' ear.

"Come here and kiss me," Kendall said. Not a command or a demand, but an invitation, one James eagerly accepted. He braced his hands on either side of Kendall's chest and leaned down until their lips met. The same as every time he'd kissed James, Kendall felt his core incinerate, with hot tongues of flame running up and down his back. But unlike the crazy, hurried wildfire that had engulfed them the previous week, this burn was slower-a controlled fire, heating, melting, forging them into something different, something brand new. He couldn't stop looking at James, mapping his features, the contours of his cheeks.

James lifted his knee to straddle Kendall's waist and sat back so he could run his hands along Kendall's skin-along his chest, down his stomach, and back-in increasingly long sweeps. On one pass, James let his hands roam up over Kendall's neck to tangle into his hair. He braced the other hand against Kendall's chest, and their gazes collided.

"Have I ever told you I love your eyes?" James asked.

Kendall shook his head, unable to form words.

"I do," James whispered, lowering his head to bit at Kendall's stubbled chin.

Kendall swallowed hard. He'd been seriously trying hard to keep his hands out of this, to give James the unbridled access and control James had given to him, but he had to abandon the effort. He lifted his hands to frame James' face and brought him in for a fierce kiss.

James broke away a second later, pressing a kiss to the same spot he'd bitten on Kendall's chin. "You're sure?" he whispered.

There were few things Kendall had been _more _sure of in his life. "Yeah, baby. I'm positive."

James nodded, his eyes seriously, suddenly nervous. "I _do _want this, Jay," Kendall said again, more forcefully. "With you."

Kendall watched the flush climb up James' face. _So beautiful._

James pushed up on his hands and crawled backward down Kendall's body, dropping tiny kisses over his chest as he went. As he moved lower, his mouth traced Kendall's hipbone. Kendall exhaled a shaky moan.

"I love the sounds you make," James said softly. "Like you really want me."

"I do," Kendall responded, then he arched his back as James' mouth moved lower again, his warm tongue licking up Kendall's shaft. "God, you make me so hard. All I have to do is see you, watch you smile."

It was too much. The heat of James' mouth and the needy sounds James made as he moved above him, drove Kendall mad in a matter of moments. He dimly heard the snap of the lube container, then James' fingers were stroking around his opening, probing gently, pushing inside him.

The sensation was so much more intense than he remembered from the few times he'd tried this years ago, but that made sense, didn't it? After all, James wasn't like anyone Kendall had ever known before.

James' fingers went away, and Kendall was dimly aware of him opening a condom, adding more lube, preparing himself. Kendall instinctively tensed when James guided his cock to Kendall's entrance, but he forced himself to relax. He welcomed the brief burn, the pressure, because he wanted James inside him more than he'd known he ever could. His moan mingled with James' as he pushed himself home, and he welcomed that, too. Like signs that they were together in this.

And then James started to move, and Kendall cried out. "Oh! Christ, Jay! More. Again!"

James' hips moved faster, Kendall gripped the bedspread in both hands, anchoring himself against James' thrusts and the spiral of pleasure threatening to overload his mind. He'd had sex, he knew what pleasure felt like. But it had never been like _this_. He felt special and cherished, things he'd never known to want before.

James hitched out a breath and said, "Kendall? Baby, I can't hold on," his voice wrecked with passion.

Kendall brought his hands up to James' cheeks and pulled him down for a hot, thorough kiss. "Then come for me. Come for me, babe."

James thrust hard one last time, then his hips froze, his face contorted in pleasure. Kendall nearly lost it right there.

"You're so beautiful," Kendall told him, still cradling James' gorgeous face in his hands. James, still breathless, leaned down to kiss him once, before pressing his lips into Kendall's as though imprinting himself there, then he pulled back abruptly. A second later, he was swallowing Kendall all the way down to the root. Kendall was so primed, it was pretty much all he could take. The suction of that gorgeous mouth, the firm pressure of those lips around his dick, and Kendall was coming down James' throat.

James dealt with the condom, then climbed back up Kendall's body and stretched himself out against Kendall's side.

"That was...amazing," James offered hesitantly, as though he wondered whether Kendall would agree.

Kendall wrapped his arms around James, who tucked his head under Kendall's jaw, and told him the absolute truth. "It was perfect. _You _are perfect."

They lay without moving or speaking for long minutes while their breathing evened. The sun cast progressively longer orange swathes across the bed, the fan on the ceiling slowly rotated, and James sank more deeply against Kendall, his eyelashes fluttered against Kendall's chest as he blinked.

"We should really clean up," James said without moving. Kendall chuckled.

"In a minute, baby. We've got plenty of time."

Kendall was aware this was the calm before the storm-the silent phone on the nightstand was a constant presence in the back of his mind. He knew he and James had a lot they still needed to discuss, and _soon_. He knew he would have to say some things that James probably didn't want to hear, but he was hopeful in a way he hadn't felt in a long time. Maybe, ever.

* * *

**Done! So, some intimate Kames this chapter, though Kendall seems to think this is the calm before the storm.**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, as well as if you happened to have a favorite part/moment!**

**Again, I hope you all enjoyed! The next chapter will pick up were this one left off and will more than likely be up by next weekend at the latest.**

**Until then!**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hello again everyone! Welcome back to Easy! :D**

**Before we get started, I would like to thank everyone that read last chapter! I would also like to give a huge thank you winterschild11, Guest, Side1ways, and RainbowDiamonds for reviewing!**

**Both this chapter and the next one are slightly shorter than usual, but they set up the last few chapters.**

**I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

James was supremely comfortable, laying on the warm sand in the sunshine down in the hidden cove on St. Brigitte. His eyes were closed, but he could hear the distant crash of waves on the shore and birds calling as they dove for their supper. Everything was perfectly peaceful, and in a moment or two, when he felt like opening his eyes again, he'd grab his book and towel, and head on up the path to see whether it was time for lunch.

His stomach growled. Okay, so maybe it was closer to _dinner_. Shane, Jett, and Amelia hardly ever left him alone this long, always forcing him to play some stupid game Shane was a dead cert to win. His stomach rumbled insistently again and he sucked in a deep breath. His mom and dad were probably wondering where he'd…

Reality hit him like a tidal wave- first, the slow shadow falling over his mind, an awareness in his hind-brain, warning him something was off in his thinking, and then, before he could brace himself, before he could move or protect himself, the full realization crashed over his head and sucked him under.

They were gone.

His father, with his keen intellect and take-no-prisoners confidence…

Amelia Stetson, with her razor-sharp tongue and kind smile…

His mother, with her soft eyes and quick wit…

No one would ever again wonder where on earth James had gone off to when it was time for dinner.

No one would remind him things would get better.

No one was waiting for him anymore.

_He was utterly alone._

He was sobbing before he opened his eyes. Chest heaving, stomach cramping under the weight of his grief, he sat up and wrapped his arms around his knees. It was shattering, this pain-uncontrollable desolation so vast he couldn't contain it as it welled up from his lungs and sank down into his bones. He buried his face in his hands and let the tears roll down past his fingers.

When he felt a warm hand on his naked back, he stiffened in shock and looked up to find Kendall, his eyes still half-slitted and glazed with sleep, shifting to sit behind him in the bed. James hadn't even realized where he was, hadn't remembered Kendall was also there.

He wasn't alone after all.

He _had _someone after all.

Kendall didn't say a word. He shifted one leg around James' back and pulled James to lean against him. The scruff of Kendall's five o'clock shadow was rough on James' shoulder as Kendall pressed small kisses to his skin and ran his hand through his hair.

Without thinking, James twisted to bury his face in Kendall's chest as the sobs came faster and harder. How could one person have so much grief inside them? Had it been there all along? Right now, it was expanding like a living entity inside him, threatening to split James' skin, fragmenting him into a million pieces.

Kendall didn't waver. His grip around James tightened, holding James' pieces together with the strength of his embrace, and he began rocking, almost imperceptibly at first, then faster, the motion comforting and sure.

"I've got you," he whispered. "Let it go, baby. I've got you."

And James took him at his word, allowing Kendall's soft kisses to push comfort into his skin, trusting Kendall to care for him.

When his tears finally slowed, hours or minutes later, James noticed the room was lighter than it had been, warmer, though perhaps it had more to do with the way Kendall had wrapped him up completely, arms and legs and chest, all buffering him against the world.

He swallowed, not sure how to feel once his sanity returned somewhat. Should he be embarrassed? Should he move away? Last night with Kendall had been incredible, but there had been no promises between them. And still, he couldn't summon the energy to respond at all.

Kendall's lips moved against his hair, his hands stroked over James' arm. His eyes held affection, concern-a dozen different emotions James could read, clear as day, because all along they'd been doing that wordless communication thing, hadn't they? And James hadn't even noticed.

This crazy, secretive, wonderful hot guy, with his green eyes and his just-fucked hair, knew exactly what James was thinking. He always seemed to know.

Kendall frowned as James stared at him silently. "Can I get you anything? Water, or-"

"I love you," James blurted, stunning himself. Stunning Kendall, too, by the way he tensed around James, squeezing him tight before lessening his death grip somewhat.

"You-" Kendall stumbled.

James pulled in a deep breath and moved his head from Kendall's chest so he could look directly into his face. Kendall didn't look horrified or concerned, or any of the other things James had worried he'd find there, just completely surprised and maybe a little unsure of how to respond.

James shook his head. "I didn't say it for you to say it back," he told Kendall. "In fact, I definitely don't _want _you to repeat it to me. Not now. I just...I was thinking about my parents. Dreaming about them actually." James' voice broke and he cleared his throat. "I miss them." It was so stupidly obvious, but James didn't think he'd ever said it aloud before. He wasn't certain whether he'd even admitted it to _himself_, because admitting it would mean contemplating _everything_ he'd lost and he still wasn't sure he was ready to do that.

James shook his head. "Believe it or not, I've talked more about them with you this past week than to anyone else in the entire past year. Maybe it was wrong or disrespectful of their memories. It's just so hard."

"Yeah," Kendall agreed ruefully. "Really damn hard. But...maybe it's time to talk about those hard things."

"Maybe it is," James said. He paused for a moment, then continued, "I never doubted they loved me. And I know they knew how much I loved them too. But I just sort of wished I had the chance to hear it from them one last time, to tell them one last time, so...I wanted..._you_ to...know."

"There's no right or wrong way to grieve and process," Kendall said after a short while. "They'd be so proud of you. I know I am."

His hands sifted through the hair on James' head, and James fell into a pleasant kind of exhaustion, like he'd done hard labor.

"Jay?" Kendall said a moment later. "I _want _you to tell me these things. I want you to know that you _can _talk to me."

He said the words solemnly, as though he was making a promise. James sat up, twisting around to look into Kendall's curious green eyes.

"Okay," James responded. Kendall seemed hesitant, an unusual look for him, which made James need to ask, "Are _you _okay?"

Kendall nodded, and his hand reached up to stroke James' cheek. "You have so many heavy burdens and I want...I want you to give them to me. Not because you can't handle them-you've already shown you _can_, maybe better than me. But you shouldn't have to handle things alone. I want you to trust me with this, the same way you trust me with your body."

James blinked, but didn't interrupt.

"You've shown me so much trust already," Kendall continued. "It's time I did the same for you."

Kendall reached over and grabbed the small flip phone from the nightstand, placing it on his thigh where James could see it. His arms tightened around James, as if he was afraid James was going to escape, to run from him once he began talking. James tensed, his heart beating faster. How bad would this be?

"Ethan Schmidt is my foster brother," Kendall said, and James frowned. He remembered feeling the faint niggle of familiarity when Kendall had said that yesterday. James hadn't paid attention to it then, but this morning, he focused on it. Ethan Schmidt...Ethan…

"The pilot who caused the crash?" James whispered, feeling his entire body grow cold.

Kendall shook his head, his arms still holding James tight. "He did _not _cause that crash, Jay."

"The NTSB said differently," James said stiffly. His breathing was ramping up, and suddenly Kendall's comforting embrace felt restrictive. "What does this have to do with anything? With the case you're working on?"

"I'm not working on a case," Kendall said softly. "You accused me of it yesterday, and you were right. I'm here because Ethan is alive, and I need to help him.

James sat up, pushing Kendall's arms aside. "Alive? Kendall, it's not possible. There were no survivors."

"It's possible. I have photographic proof in my bag," he said. "But you can take my word for it. Ethan survived somehow."

Disbelief warred with hope in James' chest. "Were there other…" He couldn't bring himself to say the word _survivors_, but Kendall understood.

He shook his head quickly. "I don't...I don't think so. Nothing identifying Ethan was ever recovered," he reminded James. Whereas James' parents' remains had been found at the crash site.

James ran a hand through his hair. "He's alive? And he wants you to help him do _what_?"

Kendall winced, then his jaw hardened. "I'm not a hundred percent sure, but the things they say he did...getting drunk before a flight, failing to do pre-checks, that's not Ethan. It's not the kind of man he was..._is_." He laid a hand on James' thigh, holding him in place, while he explained the clues Ethan had been sending him, the facial recognition picture he'd got from the security camera which had led him to St. Brigitte, the way things had gone down with his superiors, and the burner phone he'd got through the mail on the morning they left.

The words flowed into James' brain, but he could hardly make sense of them. His whole body was being pricked by pins and needles, like a numb limb coming back to life. Kendall had lied, outright and by omission, to him, to his FBI teammates, to everyone.

"I still don't understand," James whispered when Kendall finally fell silent. "He sent you pictures of Shane and me, things about Diamond Tech. Why?"

Kendall hesitated. "I'm not sure."

"Oh, bullshit," James sneered, pushing up off the bed. The phone clattered to the floor, but James left it there and reached for his clothes, which still lay where he'd dropped them the previous night, before everything had changed. "You clearly suspect some conspiracy or you wouldn't be here."

"I don't have any proof," he hedged.

"I haven't heard proof for _any _of this," James retorted. "So why stop now?"

"Because I don't want to hurt you."

"Hurt me?" James echoed. "How could you possibly hurt me more than you already have?"

Kendall swallowed. "Ethan didn't cause the crash, so, who did? Who benefited most from your parent's deaths, James?"

James frowned. "Nobody."

"Is that really true?" Kendall stood and grabbed James by the upper arms, forcing him to look at him, forcing him to listen. "Your brother inherited the company. You told me about it the first night we met, remember? A very wealthy, powerful company."

James' eyes widened as he finally understood. "And you think Shane…" His eyes hardened. "But why not _me_? I'm the president of the company, after all."

Something flickered in Kendall's eyes. James barked out a laugh. "Oh, Jesus Christ. You actually _did _think I might have had something to do with my parents' deaths!"

Kendall shook his head emphatically. "I thought so at first, but after the first night we talked, I knew better. I knew you couldn't have."

"How did you know?" James demanded. "How do you know I didn't just _off _them so I could have more _money_, since money is obviously the only motivation anyone has for doing anything in your world?"

"Stop!" Kendall said, shaking James slightly. "I just know better." He lifted one hand to cup James' chin. "I know it or I wouldn't be here now, I wouldn't be telling you all this."

James shook his head and huffed out a laugh. "But you still think it was Shane?" He broke away from Kendall, paced away from the bed. "You're crazy."

"Sometimes you think you know people," Kendall started, but James whirled to face him.

"Listen to yourself. The NTSB investigation concluded _your _brother was at fault, but I'm supposed to believe he _didn't _because you _know your brother better than that_. Meanwhile, you're trying to convince me that _my _brother is a murderer because that helps sell the story that you've been telling yourself. But you _don't _know Shane. You've never even met him. So, what will you do if I tell you that _I _know _my _brother, and I know it would be absolutely, positively against his nature to do anything like this?"

Kendall hesitated, and James could see the pain and indecision in his eyes. He wanted to believe James, but if he did, it would mean he didn't believe Ethan.

They were at an impasse. James had no idea what it meant for him and Kendall. Had this all been part of some larger game? James' head hurt from crying, his entire body felt wrung out. He wanted space and peace.

"If you really believe Shane is involved in this? Why isn't the FBI here officially?" James demanded wearily. "Why isn't there an open investigation trying to prove his innocence?"

"How would that go, James?" Kendall took a step toward him, then stopped, running both hands through his hair. "After the crash, Shane ran Ethan's name down in the press so badly, he became a punchline. How could Ethan possibly get a fair shot? You might like to believe the FBI investigations are fair and impartial, but I know better."

Kendall leaned against the end of the bed and folded his arms across his chest, totally unconcerned by his nakedness. Despite everything, James fought not to react to the sight of him.

"If I tell the FBI he's alive, they _will _open an investigation, but with the intent to charge him with manslaughter if nothing else. Then it will be out of my hands, and out of his hands too."

"So you're waiting for him to call you? And then what?"

"I don't know," Kendall said, his eyes burning into James'. "I'll talk to him and then...see."

See if he had enough information to investigate Shane, he meant.

James shook his head. _Oh, James. You are a gullible idiot who will never, never learn._

"You'd do the same," Kendall said, almost defiantly. "If you had to save your brother-"

"I _did _do the same," James snapped. "That's how you got me to come here, in case you don't remember. And now, by bringing you here, you're telling me I've essentially fucked him over instead." Kendall frowned, as though he hadn't considered this. "You used me. _Again_."

"No," Kendall said, stepping forward, reaching for James. "It wasn't like that. I didn't expect this. _Us_."

"Us," James echoed, stepping away, holding his hands up, warding Kendall off.

He'd thought he was completely cried out, that his body couldn't spare any more tears, but the damn things were welling up behind his eyes anyway, and this time he'd be damned if Kendall saw him break down.

"There is no _us_. I thought…" He shook his head, willed his voice to stay strong. "I was stupid, again. So, that's on me, _again_. There won't be a third chance."

"James, take a minute. Think. You _know _better," Kendall pleaded. "You _said _you wouldn't run. You said you'd trust me."

James hesitated. Was he running? Was that what this was?

From its spot on the floor, Kendall's flip phone gave a loud chirp and buzz, and Kendall's head swung toward it, then back to James, clearly torn.

James would make the decision easier for him. "You'll want to get that," he said dully. He took off to the bathroom and locked the door behind him.

The giant bathroom featured a large soaking tub along with a huge glass-fronted shower tiled in natural stone. Exactly what he needed-to scrub himself clean and forget this entire morning, this entire trip, every second in Kendall Knight's company.

He turned the water to scalding hot and shucked his boxers before stepping under the spray. His stomach roiled, his eyes burned, and as the stupid tears came, James let himself sink to the floor.

He had to call Shane and warn him. He had to fly home immediately-a thought he knew would have terrified him under any other circumstances, but for now, just made his chest ache more intensely.

James lay his forearms against his bent knees and allowed the water to wash over him. He felt a scream rise up inside him and remembered Kendall's pool trick-how invincible he'd felt in that moment and nearly all the moments he and Kendall had spent together. It had only taken one week for Kendall to burrow under his skin this completely, to make him feel important. He had a feeling it would take a lot longer for the memories to fade.

The first clue he wasn't alone came when a chilly breeze skittered across his wet skin. He lifted his head to see Kendall step inside the shower and immediately squat down in front of him, heedless of the water running over them both.

"The door was locked," was all James could think to mutter.

"It'll take more than a locked door to keep me out, Jay," Kendall admonished. He lifted a hand to James' face. "I told you I wouldn't let you run."

"It can't work," James said almost desperately. "It's always going to be me or Ethan, you or Shane. We'll only end up hurting each other. Or hurting ourselves."

Kendall shook his head. "Trust me," he said, bringing his lips closer to James'.

James lifted his head, pressed his mouth desperately to Kendall's, wishing and wanting, but this time he wasn't sure he had any more trust to give.

* * *

**Done! So...yeah. I'm sure you all knew this was coming eventually, and it finally happened. **

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, as well as if you happened to have a favorite part/moment!**

**Again, I hope you all enjoyed and that you all are having a great weekend! I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but it'll definitely be up by next weekend at the latest.**

**Until then!**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hello again everyone! New chapter alert! This chapter is here a little earlier than I planned, but...here we are! :P**

**Before we get started, I would like to thank everyone that read last chapter! I would also like to give a huge thank you to winterschild11, Side1ways, Guest, and RainbowDiamonds for reviewing! I'm loving hearing all of your thoughts and theories. :)**

**I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

"When Ethan texted, he said he wanted to meet in the hangar at noon," Kendall said, pulling a t-shirt over his head. The soft gray material slid down his body, clinging to his body and the patches of skin still damp from their shower. "In about an hour."

James, who hadn't been able to stop himself from watching the show, turned his focus to buttoning his own shorts as Kendall slid both phones into his pockets and turned around. He looked down at the dresser, which held an assortment of things he'd removed from his own pockets yesterday-door key, wallet, cell...Kendall's lucky quarter. James grabbed the coin and held it tightly in his palm before slipping it into his front pocket.

"You're going to meet him," James said neutrally. It wasn't a question. From what Kendall had revealed, everything he'd done up to this point was to help his brother, so despite James' hurt, this wasn't a surprise. It was simply the sort of person Kendall was. He had a loyalty that had been embedded in him since childhood.

"_We _are," Kendall said. He walked across the room and wrapped his arms around James from behind, leaning forward to rest his chin on James' shoulder. His wet hair tickled James' neck as their eyes met squarely in the mirror. "You and me, Jay. From here on out."

It sounded too good to be true, so it probably was, though James figured Kendall _wanted _to believe it. He realized intention and reality often operated on two separate planes.

Still, he gave Kendall's reflection a halfhearted smile. "Okay." He grabbed his wallet and put it in his back pocket.

Kendall shook his head and smiled. "You don't believe it, but you'll see."

James nodded. They'd see alright.

A knock at the door had them both turning simultaneously.

"I thought he was at the hangar?" James said.

"That's what the text said." Kendall moved toward the door, taking up a defensive position to one side. With his hand, he motioned for James to move back, out of sight of the door.

James rolled his eyes. What the hell did Kendall think was going to happen here? He shook his head firmly. Kendall had never been the boss of him, and he certainly wasn't now.

Kendall gestured again, his green eyes kindling with warning, sending a thrill up James' spine.

With a sigh, James walked into the bathroom. From here, he could only see Kendall's profile as he took a deep breath then cracked the door open an inch. His head went back in surprise at whoever was out there. "What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded.

"I could ask you the same question," a voice replied, and James' eyes widened as he recognized it. "Shay?" he said, stepping back into the room.

Kendall opened the door wider, giving James a clear view of Shane and Jett standing in the hallway, while still blocking their entry with his arm.

"Jay," Shane said, and James saw something like relief in his eyes. He was showered, dressed in impeccably clean trousers and a fitted polo, and his eyes had lost their haunted look. It was an amazing-and confusing-transformation.

"Are you okay?" Jett asked James, his gaze going from Kendall to James and back again, his eyes narrowing on Kendall's face.

"Yes, yeah. Of course," James said just as Shane told Kendall, "I've seen your face before."

Kendall shook his head and his voice had a steely edge. "We haven't met. Yet."

Shane put his hand on Kendall's forearm and took a step forward, a demand for Kendall to move aside. Kendall didn't budge.

"James," Jett said.

James rolled his eyes. "Kendall, let them in."

Kendall's jaw hardened as he glanced back at James, but he finally relented, allowing both men to step inside. Kendall moved along with them, staying between Shane and James, almost protectively. James rolled his eyes again. _Like I have anything to fear from Shane or Jett. _

"What _are _you two doing here?" James asked Shane, hands on his hips as he repeated Kendall's question. "You didn't tell me you were coming when I stopped by the other day. And God, you look so much...better, Shay!"

Shane glanced from Kendall to James, obviously not liking Kendall's position. "I changed my plans yesterday. I arrived earlier this morning. I need to speak to you. _Alone_," he added when Kendall made no effort to move.

"I told you he thinks he's dating this guy," Jett murmured to Shane, clearly disapproving.

"We _are _dating," Kendall confirmed. He folded his arms over his chest and glared at Jett before glancing at James._ Do you want me to leave? _James' stomach somersaulted. His choice, and Kendall would let him do this alone if he wanted to.

He was tempted for a minute, but he stared into Kendall's steady eyes, which seemed to be begging, _Trust me, Jay._

Man, he was a sucker for those eyes.

James stepped forward and put his arm around Kendall's waist. "This is Kendall," James told his brother. He glanced pointedly at Jett. "He's staying."

Both men looked like they would balk, but James held firm and Shane finally blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair.

"Alright," he said, still giving Kendall side-eye. "Listen, I know we have a lot to talk about, and I have a lot to explain, but first we _need _to get in touch with Uncle Shaw. We haven't been able to find him, and he's not answering my calls or texts. The service here is abysmal, so I don't know if he's even received them. Jenna hasn't seen him or Jake _or _Dak for hours." Shane gripped the back of his neck as he always did when he was frustrated.

"I don't know how we can help. We haven't seen any of them since yesterday," James said, shaking his head. "We haven't been downstairs at all yet today."

Shane raised an eyebrow at the rumpled bed, and then back at Kendall and James. Jett made a sound of disgust.

James met Shane's glance with a raised eyebrow of his own, daring either of them to comment. "What's this about, Shane?"

"I need to talk to you about some..._things_ pertaining to the crash," Shane said cryptically. "Things I couldn't discuss over the phone."

He glanced at Kendall again, as though once again hoping James would ask him to leave. Beneath James' hand, the muscles of Kendall's spine tensed immediately as though he was worried about the same thing.

James shook his head. Despite everything, he was committed to this now, and he wanted Kendall to hear everything.

Shane huffed out a breath, clearly annoyed that James wouldn't yield.

"It wasn't an accident, James," he said. "And I think I know how to prove it."

For one second, James wondered if Kendall could be right-if Shane could have had anything to do with the crash, as ridiculous as that would have been. But a quick glance at Shane's face proved otherwise. He was tense, grief-stricken, and _angry_.

"Shane," James began, wanting to be sure Shane knew Kendall's identity before he revealed anything incriminating, but Kendall spoke up instead.

"James didn't introduce me fully," he said. "I'm Agent Kendall Knight. I work for the FBI, for now anyway. And my brother is Ethan Schmidt."

James waited for Shane to explode, recalling his angry tirades about Ethan in the past, but Shane did nothing more than nod, though his face was still pinched with displeasure. "Jett told me who you are. And I would have recognized you anyway from my investigation of Ethan." His eyes narrowed. "What the hell are you doing with my brother? I swear to God, if you did anything to him-"

Kendall cut him off, ignoring the entire second half of Shane's statement. "I doubt that's how you recognize me. Not many people know there's a connection between Ethan and me. We're not blood relatives, and the records of my time in foster care are sealed."

Shane waved a dismissive hand and paced toward the wall. "Likely not many people studied Ethan Schmidt's life as carefully as I did."

Jett snorted. "Or investigated _you _as carefully as _I _did before you even came to Diamond Tech last Monday."

Kendall grew even tenser, so James lifted his shirt slightly, sliding his thumb against Kendall's skin in a soothing motion.

"You had a lot to say about Ethan a year ago," Kendall accused Shane. "Encouraging rabid reporters to dig up information on his little sister, for Christ's sake."

Shane turned to lean against the wall, folding his arms over his chest and mimicking Kendall's posture. "It was an unfortunate consequence."

Anger rolled off Kendall in waves, and James stepped forward protectively. "Could you sound a little less like a pompous prick?" he asked his brother.

Shane clicked his tongue, contemplating James and Kendall with narrowed eyes. "No," he said finally. "I can't. Can _you _explain what you're doing here with Ethan Schmidt's brother?" He glanced pointedly at the bed again.

Jett piped up. "We, uh, don't need specifics."

James' cheeks heated. "None of your business. _Either _of you. Now, explain what finally got you to abandon your living room couch and your obsessive home-movie viewing."

Shane looked from James to Jett, then rubbed his palm over his forehead. "I think Ethan might have been framed for the crash."

James and Kendall exchanged wide-eyed looks.

"Explain," Kendall said.

"As you said, I've spent a long time recently looking at old movies and TV show clips about the crash. _Wallowing in grief_, which James and Jett both took me to task for." He threw Jett a small smile before turning serious again. "I actually found something rather strange. Right after the investigation, a man did a TV interview, saying he was a witness who was drinking with Ethan before the crash."

"John R.," Kendall said, nodding. "I remember. I tried to follow up with him.

"But he'd disappeared?" Shane guessed. "Yeah, same dead-end here. I even, uh, tried to see whether the NTSB had additional information on him as part of their investigation."

"That's why you hacked them?" James asked, glaring at his brother.

Shane glanced from James to Kendall to Jett, a small smile on his lips. "Hacked is an ugly word. I think Jett would prefer I say I 'requested information through unofficial channels.'"

Kendall rolled his eyes, relaxing his posture slightly. "At this point, I don't give a shit if you lit the place on fire, Diamond. What did you find?"

"It's more what I _didn't_ find," Shane said sourly. He looked from Jett to James. "All the information on the witness was redacted from the file."

"Redacted?" James echoed. "How? Why?"

Shane nodded. "Exactly the questions I wanted answered. So, I went back into the system and left a trail so clear, the world's most inept investigator could have followed it, but not a single person contacted me to investigate." He shook his head and looked at Kendall. "I don't know what the hell they give you badges for."

Kendall snorted, then chuckled, then laughed out loud, pressing a hand on his stomach.

"What's so funny?" James asked, elbowing him. To Shane, he said, "Kendall _did _investigate it. Jett was the one who squelched it." He pointed a finger in Jett's direction.

"Nope. He's right." Kendall shook his head and looked at James. "_They _never had any real intention of pursuing it. It was squashed from above even before Diamond Tech's legal team got involved." He gave James an apologetic shrug and James rolled his eyes.

In the grand scheme of Kendall's lies, this one hardly registered, but he still said in a warning tone, "I swear to God, Kendall-"

Kendall drew James close and fitted him tightly to his side before he could finish the threat. "Never again, I promise."

Shane looked back and forth between them and scowled. "Whatever touching thing you two are discussing, table it for a minute. The point is, the witness disappeared off the face of the earth, but the only reason I was looking into him in the first place was because he reminded me of someone else, someone whose picture I saw in the footage from mom and dad's funeral."

James blinked. "John R. was at the funeral?"

Shane shook his head and reached into his pocket to pull out his phone. "Not exactly." He tapped a few keys and then stepped forward, showing James and Kendall his screen.

On the right, was a still shot from a TV interview showing a tall, bearded man with a distinctive mole beside his blue eyes. To the left, was a shot of Jake Ryan, standing at Deckard Shaw's shoulder as they exited James' parents' funeral. His hair was black in the picture, just as it had been yesterday.

_Jesus Christ. _The witness was Uncle Shaw's assistant.

Kendall grabbed the phone, bringing it closer to his face.

"Oh my God," he breathed. He turned to James excitedly. "Do you recognize this guy? This is why Ethan wanted me here. He must have recognized him and figured out the same thing."

"Ethan?" Jett stepped forward and grabbed Shane's phone back. "Schmidt? The pilot?" He looked from James to Kendall and back again. "He's dead."

Kendall shook his head. He hesitated, then explained. "He's alive, and here on the island," he told them. "He's probably trying to accomplish the same thing you are."

Shane's eyes widened. "Tell us what you know."

James felt Kendall bristle at Shane's imperious tone. He folded his arms over his chest again. "It's not my information to tell."

James sighed and dug his finger into Kendall's side. "Kendall."

Kendall gave him a sidelong glance. _Can I trust him?_

James nodded.

Kendall blew out a breath letting his arms fall to his sides. "Ethan contacted me for the first time about six months ago. Nothing concrete or direct-I don't know why-but he began sending me little clues. Things from our childhood only he would know. Along with information about you." He nodded at Shane.

Shane frowned. "Me?"

"And James," Kendall confirmed. "I knew from the beginning Ethan couldn't have been responsible for the crash. He would never have flown drunk, he would never have skipped his pre-check. If there was an engine problem, he would have found it."

Shane nodded slowly. "I checked out his record. It's spotless."

Kendall shrugged. "So, if Ethan didn't do it, obviously the plane must have been sabotaged." He glanced at James. "And the next logical step would be to ask who would have done that, and why. The obvious answer was money."

James rolled his eyes. Money was Kendall's answer to everything.

But Jett nodded. "He's right, James. It usually is. Any good investigator follows the money trail."

"Yes, but in this case Ethan led Kendall to investigate _us_," James said, leaning against Kendall's arm.

Shane laughed.

"It's not funny," Kendall grumbled. "Frankly, I still have my doubts about you." It was more of a joke than a serious statement, and for the first time James allowed himself to believe that maybe, somehow, this was all going to work out alright. "It was a very real possibility. Until I met James." The look he gave James was affectionate and exasperated all at once.

Shane shook his head. "James' sparkling personality aside, the only way you'd think that was if you never bothered to read the terms of our parents' wills."

Kendall frowned. "Wills? Everyone knows you and James inherited everything."

He gave James a blank look, and James bit his lip. "Yeah, I hadn't fully explained that part."

"The company assets don't belong to James and me," Shane told him. "We have trust funds, and we draw salaries from the company, very decent salaries, but the company itself is in trust, and the beneficiary is the Diamond Charitable Trust. All the money we were ever likely to inherit from our parents was already ours long before they died."

"And you didn't tell me this, why?" Kendall demanded, turning to James.

"Oh, please. Like you didn't keep secrets. I wanted you to believe me about Shane because you believed _me_, Kendall."

Kendall gave him a look as if to say they would be discussing this later. James felt a tingle in his stomach and cleared his throat. "The better question is why you didn't share all these suspicions with _me_!" James challenged Shane.

Shane pushed his lips together. "Lots of reasons. For one thing, it's been the only thing keeping me sane for the past few months. And for another...You've taken on enough this year, Jay. I know I've mostly checked out, and I'm so sorry for leaving you to deal with everything. I didn't want this to fall on you too. I wanted to protect you if I could."

"Keeping secrets isn't the way to do that," James said, glaring at Shane and Kendall in turn. "_Jesus_. I am a capable adult, you know."

"I know," Kendall murmured, turning to rest a hand on James' cheek. "I never doubted it."

Jett grimaced angrily. "Don't feel too bad. Shane didn't trust me either, Jamie."

Shane rounded on Jett. "And I told you why."

Jett glanced away and didn't respond.

James sighed. "So now what the hell do we do?"

"We find Uncle Shaw and show him these photos," Shane said. "I don't know what Jake's endgame is, but if he had something to do with the crash, it's possible Uncle Shaw may be in danger."

"Have you done any digging into Jake's financials?" Kendall asked. "Any idea where the money might have come from?"

Shane shook his head. "Not yet. Locked up tighter than a drum."

"You can't get into his system?" Kendall snorted. "And here I thought you were some computer genius."

Jett smirked. "He didn't say he _couldn't_, Donald, he said _not yet_."

James winced internally. Trust Jett to have somehow figured out Kendall's detested middle name and making sure to use it.

Kendall ignored Jett. "James and I have a meeting with Ethan in…" He checked the time on his phone, then showed it to James. "Fifteen minutes."

James nodded as Kendall put the phone away. "We've gotta go. Meet us at the hangar after you find Uncle Shaw," he told his brother. "And we can make a plan for dealing with Jake."

Shane frowned. "You should call in backup," he told Kendall. "See if you can get an FBI team out here."

For a second, Kendall hesitated, but James placed a hand on Kendall's back and shook his head.

"It's not going to happen. If Kendall contacts them without proof, they'll likely end up investigating Ethan. After all, he was the official cause of the crash. And don't you dare give me that face," he said when Shane scowled. "Keeping secrets to protect a brother is something you should understand."

* * *

**Done! So, Shane and Jett have arrived and it looks like they all finally have a lead!**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, as well as if you happened to have a favorite part/moment!**

**Again, I hope you all enjoyed! There are only a couple more chapter left, around three (give or take a chapter or two). The next one will more than likely be up sometime next week.**

**Until then!**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hello everyone! I wasn't planning on having this chapter up quite so soon, but given the circumstances, I think it's acceptable. :P**

**Before we get started, I would like to thank everyone that read last chapter! I would also like to give a huge thank you to winterschild11, Guest, Side1ways, and RainbowDiamonds for reviewing!**

**It seems a lot of you think Shaw has something to do with all of this, but you'll just have to wait and see. ;)**

**I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

James and Kendall arrived at the hangar to find it mostly deserted. Unlike the day before, there were no planes arriving or departing, and the crew mostly seemed to have the day off.

Two men in blue coveralls stood chatting to one another, eating their lunch. Kendall didn't recognize either of them, but they spotted him and James right away. One of them, an elderly man with dark eyes and a gap-toothed smile approached them.

"Can I help you, gentlemen?" He asked, wiping his hands on a rag.

Kendall hesitated for half a second. He didn't want to call attention to Ethan for any reason, he simply needed to have a look around and allow Ethan to approach him.

James wrapped both hands around Kendall's forearm and leaned against him heavily, giving the mechanic a wide smile. "Oh, perhaps you _can _help us. We just want to have a quick look around. See, Kenny promised me a plane for my birthday. I'm going to be twenty-seven in October," he confided in a stage whisper. "And I really think it's time to _upgrade_, you know? But I need to see which kind is the prettiest so that Kenny knows what to buy!" He added a bright laugh at the end which was so completely unlike James, Kendall fought the urge to turn and stare.

The mechanic blinked. He looked at Kendall with wide eyes, and Kendall shrugged. "If it's what he wants," Kendall agreed with a shake of his head. "Gotta keep my guy happy."

"Uh…" The mechanic's eyes widened as he looked from Kendall to James. "Well, I guess it'd be alright then," he agreed hesitantly. "As long as you don't touch anything or try going inside."

"Wouldn't _dream _of it!" James said, making an exaggerated cross over his heart with his index finger.

The mechanic nodded, then turned away shaking his head. "All these crazy rick folks wanna hide out in their planes, ain't my business," he muttered to himself.

James smiled at Kendall, who rolled his eyes. "Pick out your plane, darling. Did you want something diamond-encrusted?"

James laughed. "Oh,_ Kenny_, that's sooo last season," he drawled, laughing even harder when Kendall reached over to smack him on the ass.

"Don't call me _Kenny,_ brat."

"Don't call me brat, _Kenny_," James retorted, smiling as he maneuvered out of Kendall's reach.

God, the way James smiled, all hazel eyes and warmth, the way he'd claimed Kendall in front of his brother and his friend, the way he gave Kendall chance after freakin' chance…

Kendall loved him. How could he not? And he felt like the world's biggest chickenshit for not telling him so this morning, for taking the out James had given him. He'd known since yesterday afternoon this was more than a passing thing. It was _everything_. Or it could be if Kendall let it.

He held out his hand for James who grabbed it, letting Kendall reel him in closer. "Jay," He said.

"Ken."

Behind one of the planes off to the side, someone else spoke up. "Kendall."

Kendall blinked, then glanced around.

_Holy shit._

"Ethan?" He demanded, walking towards his brother's voice. James' hand squeezed his tightly, whether with nerves or as an offer of support, he wasn't certain.

Then Ethan stepped out from behind the plane and Kendall froze.

If not for his hair and the familiar lines of his face, Kendall would not have recognized his brother. He was tall and broad-shouldered, as always, but he walked with a distinct limp now, his right leg dragging somewhat behind him, his forearms crisscrossed by shiny pink scars. His hair was unkempt and greasy, and his normally clean-shaven jaw sported a scraggly beard which seemed to age him. But it was his eyes that truly halted Kendall in his tracks. The expressive green was now hard and cold, devoid of all the humor and warmth Kendall used to see there.

"Kendall," Ethan said again, making no move to step closer. His shocked gaze moved to James, who had halted just behind Kendall's right shoulder, and then back to Kendall. "What the fuck is he doing here?"

"He brought me here," Kendall said simply, still drinking in the sight of his brother. "Ethan, where have you been? What happened?"

Ethan eyed Kendall's right hand, which was still wrapped around James'. He balanced his weight on his left leg and folded his arms across his chest. "I'll explain later. We don't have much time. Get rid of him," he said, nodding at James.

James tensed, and Kendall gripped his fingers more tightly. He shook his head at his brother. "No. Listen, Ethan, I have so much to tell you."

"Jesus, Kendall. This isn't a game!" Ethan scowled, glaring at James, and then towards the other side of the hangar, where the mechanics were laughing while they sipped their coffee. "Did you not understand the messages I sent you? You used to be a lot smarter than that."

Kendall blinked in surprise. This wasn't the happy reunion Kendall had imagined. Ethan had never spoken like this to him before. What the hell had happened to his brother? There was a hard edge to his own voice when he replied, "I understood, Ethan. That's why I'm here. But you were wrong about some things, too."

Ethan gave a quick shake of his head. "I'm not discussing anything with him around."

"I'll go," James offered, but Kendall shook his head.

"That's too bad," Kendall told his brother when James tried to extricate his hand from Kendall's grasp. "He's with me. We're together."

Ethan's lip curled up in a sneer. "With a Diamond? When the fuck did that happen?"

"Sometime between the time you disappeared without a trace and the time I flew up here to help you," Kendall retorted. "If I'd had your _number_, I could've called."

"God, Kendall. I thought you, of all people, would know better than to get involved with the likes of him." He huffed out a breath and his voice became even harder. "Here's the deal. I don't trust him. Can I trust _you_, or was this whole thing for nothing?" He threw his hands in the air, encompassing the hangar, the island, and the entirety of whatever plan he'd worked out in his statement.

Kendall was torn. His brother was acting crazy-one hundred percent ridiculous. He'd expected Ethan to listen to him, to give him the benefit of the doubt. To _trust _him for God's sake. Combined with all the questions he still had for Ethan-like where the hell he'd been, and why he hadn't contacted Kendall directly even _once _in the last year-he was working his way from merely pissed to truly _angry _with each passing second.

But was he really willing to walk away without helping Ethan? Without finding answers to the questions he had?

James cleared his throat and slipped his hand from Kendall's. "I'm going to stand over there," James whispered in his ear, pointing towards the front of the hangar, far away from the mechanics. "And I'm going to pretend to pick out a plane for my birthday. You let me know if you need me."

"James," Kendall said, turning to look at his man. "I don't want-"

"He's your brother," James said. He flashed a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I get it. No contest. You can come find me when you're done, or whatever." He gave Kendall an awkward pat on the shoulder as he moved away.

_Shit._

Kendall grabbed his hand once again. "Five minutes," he told James firmly, willing him to believe it.

James nodded. "Sure."

Kendall could tell that he was anything _but _sure. Damn Ethan, and damn _himself _for every secret he'd ever kept from James. How could he convince James he was all-in when he kept acting like he wasn't? But then Kendall glanced back at Ethan, at the livid scars on his arms. Whatever had happened to his brother, he couldn't let him walk away, either.

James pulled at his wrist, but Kendall didn't want to let go. "Trust me?" he asked, looking into James' shining hazel eyes.

James smiled softly then leaned in and brushed a kiss on Kendall's cheek. "Good luck," He said, then he walked away without looking back. Kendall watched him go. When he'd ducked behind a plane and out of sight, Kendall turned back to his brother.

Ethan's sneer was still firmly in place and he was shaking his head at Kendall. "He's playing you and you don't even know it."

"Enough!" Kendall said, allowing frustration to color his voice. "I'm here, Ethan, because you asked me to be. I blew up my career. I lied to the guy I love. I have done everything you asked me to do. Now _you _answer _my _questions. Where the hell have you been?" He took a step closer to his brother. "Why the hell didn't you call me?"

"Love!" Ethan's eyes widened and he sneered. "Oh my god, that's rich! Does he know? Is that-"

"Answer. My. Questions." Kendall hissed impatiently.

Ethan clenched his jaw. "Fine. Where have I been? Well, you might have heard I was a little busy crashing a plane into a mountain. Believe it or not, I didn't walk away unscathed." He nodded down at his leg, his arms. "I was in a medically induced coma for a few months."

Kendall rocked back on his heels. "Ethan…" he said softly.

Ethan shuffled to the side and leaned back against a tall tool chest, grimacing in relief as he took the weight off his injured leg.

"After I woke up, I still wasn't in very good shape. The guy who found me brought me to the hospital, said I was in a car wreck up in the mountains. Guess they never suspected I was the guy on the news. This probably helped," he said, stroking a hand over his beard. "At first, I had no idea what had happened. I started to piece things together, a little at a time."

"Did you think of calling me at any point?" Kendall demanded. "Maybe letting me know you were alive?"

Ethan shook his head. "I felt guilty, Kendall," he whispered, his eyes to the floor. "I had no idea what had actually happened, but I was the sole survivor of the plane crash. Those people, the Diamonds, were nice. They were kind to me. I figured somehow I'd missed something during the safety check, or maybe I'd been too sleepy to fly. I felt so guilty, I didn't want to live anymore." He looked up and caught Kendall's stare. "Until I saw a news interview with John." His face darkened.

"Jake Ryan, you mean?" Kendall asked, and Ethan looked surprised. "Yeah, I just heard about him from Shane Diamond."

"_Shane_? On a first-name basis, are you? You're...what? A part of their family now?" Ethan spat. "Just how deep in their pockets are you?"

"Fuck you," Kendall said, congratulating himself for mostly keeping his temper in check. "Look, he wants to find out the truth as badly as you do. I checked up on them, I followed the hints you sent me. I thought at first James might have been involved, but he's not. You have to take my word on that."

"Here's what I know, Kendall. I wasn't drinking with Jake, I did the safety check and everything about the plane looked normal. Jake had to have-"

"Sabotaged the plane," Kendall finished. "I know. I believe you. Shane believes that too."

"Shane. That asshole would have raised me from the dead and shot me himself if he could have," Ethan said.

Kendall leveled a look at his brother. "Can you blame him?" He demanded, taking Shane Diamond's side for possibly the first and only time ever. "What would you have done if an official investigation showed some guy was at fault for killing your parents and your fiancée?"

Ethan swallowed and looked away. "Looked like a sign of guilt to me," Ethan muttered. "Someone had to have paid Jake. The asshole didn't work for free." His voice was bitter.

"_Someone _paid Jake, but it wasn't the Diamonds. I really believe that," he told his brother. "David Diamond's will left the company to charity, so Shane had no motive, Ethan." Kendall frowned. "And how did you know Jake, or John, or whatever the fuck his real name is, in the first place?"

Ethan's cheeks flushed beneath his beard. "We were sleeping together. Had been off and on for a few months before the crash. He works for Senator Shaw, and happened to fly the Senator into my airport when Shaw was visiting his family in Boston. He made a joke about the irony of Shaw trusting a gay pilot. Seems so stupid now," he said bitterly.

"Anyway, we'd been together for maybe two nights right before the crash. Taking time off, he said. We had some wine." He looked at Kendall. "One glass, I swear."

Kendall nodded.

"I fell asleep _hard_. I don't know whether I was drugged or what." Ethan sighed. "When I woke up the next day, I was really groggy. Jake offered to help me with the pre-flight check since he's a pilot himself, and I agreed. But I checked everything myself, anyway. Or I thought I had." He shook his head angrily. "If Diamond didn't pay Jake, who did?"

"I don't know," Kendall said. "But why not at least listen to-"

"Hey, Kendall!'

Ethan straightened and Kendall craned his neck around to watch Shane and Jett jogging toward them. Jett wore his perpetual scowl while Shane looked worried.

"What's up?" Kendall asked Shane. "Did you find Senator Shaw?"

Shane shook his head. "No, but one of his gardeners saw him headed this way a little while ago, along with his assistant. He's not here?"

Kendall glanced at Ethan, who shook his head. "Shaw? Fuck, no. I haven't seen him, but I've been avoiding this place more or less since his plane landed. Jake's been promoted from pilot to personal assistant, and I don't want to take any chances he might recognize me."

"So, you're Ethan Schmidt?" Shane said. "Back from the dead?"

"Shockingly brilliant _and _handsome," Ethan sneered. "The girls must love you."

Jett snorted and glanced around. "Where's James?"

"He stepped away to give us some privacy," Kendall said, glaring at his brother. "He's waiting over there." He waved a hand toward the front of the hangar, the same direction Shane and Jett had come from. "Didn't you see him?"

Shane shook his head slowly, darting a glance at Jett that made Kendall's pulse skip a beat. "We definitely didn't see him, and we were looking for you both."

Kendall glanced toward the other side of the hangar, where the mechanics had been talking, but there was nobody around anymore. _Shit._

And then an ominous clanging came from a plane nearby, the unmistakable sound of metal-on-metal.

The four men exchanged glances and, as one, hurried toward the noise.

"Come on, boys!" A voice called out. "Don't be shy. The mechanics are having a long, sleepy lunch break on me, and if you're not over here in one minute, I promise you James will be too!"

Heart racing, Kendall dove around the nearest plane to find James caught in a chokehold by Jake Ryan. Jake's left elbow encircled James' neck, just below his chin and in Jake's right hand, pressed against the sweaty hair just above James' ear, was a .45 caliber pistol.

"Aww, see that? I knew they'd come for ya, James," Jake sneered, bringing his mouth to James' ear.

Rage, hot and fluid, bubbled up inside Kendall as James looked at him with wide eyes. "Let him go, Jake," Kendall demanded, just as Shane asked, "What do you want? Name your price."

Jake smiled at Shane. "I have all the money I need. What I need now is a way off this island. I saw all the texts you were sending Shaw. Imagine my surprise when I saw you'd pieced together my identity." He turned to look at Ethan. "And imagine my _shock _when I found out _you _were still alive." He smiled, a cold and menacing expression. "How are you, babe? You're looking pretty good for a dead man. I've missed you so much."

Ethan's hands were braced on his hips and his eyes bored into Jake's. "Fuck you. You set me up back then, and if you think I'm gonna let you get away-"

Kendall reached over and hit Ethan in the stomach, hard. "Shut the fuck up, Ethan." He turned to Jake. "If you leave now, I'm not going to come after you," he vowed, deadly serious. "I won't let anyone come after you."

"You're a pilot from what I understand," Jett said, almost sounding bored. "You can pick any plane you want from this hangar and leave." He didn't even glance in James' direction. His posture was relaxed and almost friendly, the only tell that he was worried was a subtle tick in his jaw, and Kendall suddenly understood how the sullen man could be such a good attorney. "You can take my mother's plane and disappear. I promise you, we won't even report it missing."

Jake's eyes crinkled as he chuckled, and Kendall thought once again this guy _could _have been good-looking, if he wasn't a total psychopath of course.

"God, you guys are so funny. _Take my money, take my plane_. Hilarious. Naive and trusting, just like your parents." He moved his arm, jerking James slightly. "They were saps, too."

James didn't answer, and Kendall realized it was because he _couldn't. _His face was turning red as Jake slowly cut off his air supply.

"Let him go," Kendall said, stepping forward, "and I'll go with you."

Jake turned the gun on Kendall. "You back the fuck up right now," he said. "But that's sweet. Real sweet. I'm sure your man here really appreciates the heroics."

Kendall took a step back, and Jake returned the gun to James' temple. "Here's how this is gonna work, boys. I'm gonna take James along with me when I leave." Kendall's heart sank as he stared at James, who was clawing at the back of Jake's forearm.

James' hazel eyes were firmly fixed on Kendall's face, as though he was trying to send him a message. _I love you_, he could hear James saying. _I love you._

"And now I'm thinking I'll also take Ethan along for the ride."

Kendall's jaw fell, and he saw Ethan's had, too.

"Me?" Ethan asked.

"Yep. If I'm going to keep an eye on my hostage, I'd better have someone else at the controls, and I remember you being an excellent pilot before you had that whole plane crash debacle." He smiled broadly and nodded at the plane, banging the side of it with the edge of his gun, as though to get their attention. The plane's clamshell door was open, forming a small set of steps, and Jake began to back towards them. "I already prepped the plane an hour ago. All fueled up. Of course, you'll have to trust I did the proper checks." He laughed. "Better than last time, anyway."

He put his heel on the bottom step, keeping James in front of him as a shield. "James and I are gonna go up first and you can follow after," he told Ethan. "And you," He said, exchanging glances with Kendall, Jett, and Shane. "You won't alert a single soul, you hear me? Or I'll kill James and tell the authorities it was all _his _fault for kidnapping us." He nodded at Ethan. "I work for a well-connected Senator if you recall. And he'll be none too happy when he finds his plane is gone." His voice was smug, but carried a thin thread of wildness to it, like he had been driven to the edge.

That hint of madness caused sweat to dot over Kendall's brow. He'd been in worse situations than this thousands of times, but he'd never been more afraid. He'd honestly never had so much to lose. His eyes were locked on James' as Jake dragged him up the stairs, and he willed James to read his mind, to understand all the things he hadn't said but should have.

"I will _not _let this happen," Shane said, running at Jake. He hadn't gone two steps before Jake sent a bullet flying towards Shane's feet that hit the floor inches away. Shane stopped in his tracks.

"Stay back," Jake warned, his eyes glinting.

"I'm not going with you!" Ethan snapped. He folded his arms over his chest and stared at James, his jaw working. "This is ridiculous. You'll kill us both the second we land."

Jake smiled, a leer which was not even a little sane. "So suspicious, babe. Alright, have it your way. I'll just kill your brother's boyfriend right now and fly myself out of here."

He placed the gun more firmly against James' head, and Kendall belatedly realized the safety was off. James' tear-filled eyes burned into Kendall's, one final _I love you_, as he struggled against Jake's choking hold but couldn't break it. Then James squeezed his eyes tightly shut, preparing for the worst.

"No!" Kendall cried, taking a step forward. "James!"

"Okay!" Ethan yelled, pushing Kendall out of the way, sending him sprawling to the floor before rushing toward the steps. "Okay, I'll fly."

Jake smiled. "Always so predictable."

"Ethan!" Kendall cried, pushing himself up on his hands.

James opened his eyes as Jake heaved him backward, and Kendall saw James try to shake his head, telling Ethan to stay back. Ethan either didn't understand or purposefully ignored him. He mounted the steps after then and drew up the door.

Belatedly, Kendall saw the blocks had already been removed and the plane had been prepped for flight-Jake had obviously been planning for this.

Shane ran towards the plane, banging on the door before Kendall had even pushed himself to his feet. "No! James! Open the goddamn door, Jake! James!"

Still, he wasn't prepared for the way the plane flared to life, the engines firing up while the plane was still in the hangar. He coughed as a storm of dirt and debris whirled around him, tiny shards of stone and sand from the floor pinging against his skin and eyes. He covered his eyes with his forearms.

"He's insane!" Shane yelled. "What the hell is he thinking, starting up inside like this?"

"He's thinking I would have climbed up the side of the damn plane if he'd waited thirty more seconds," Kendall said, walking over to stand beside Shane. Ethan quickly guided the plane out the open door of the hangar, barely pausing before picking up speed and taxiing over the runway.

"Now what?" Jett demanded of no one in particular, throwing his hands in the air. "We can't call the authorities."

"The local authorities would know nothing anyway," Shane said, running a hand through his hair. "We need American authorities involved. I'm asking Uncle Shaw to call in a favor." He panicked for a second. "Unless Jake hurt Shaw, too. Let's find Jenna or Dak and-"

"No! No, I've got this." Kendall licked his lips and pulled his phone from his pocket-not the burner phone Ethan had given him, but his space-aged, FBI phone, the one with the important phone numbers. "I have someone I can call instead."

"Hey," he said into the phone a minute later. "It's Kendall. I need your help."

* * *

**Done! So Ethan is back in the picture, but it looks like both he and James are in trouble.**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, as well as if you happened to have a favorite part/moment!**

**Again, I hope you all enjoyed and that you all are doing okay! There are only about two or three chapters left of this story. Not sure when the next chapter will be up just yet, but there won't be too long of a wait for it.**

**Until then!**

**-Epically Obsessed**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hello again everyone! Welcome back to Easy! :D**

**Before we get started, I would like to thank everyone that read last chapter! I would also like to give a huge thank you to winterschild11, Side1ways, Guest, and RainbowDiamonds for reviewing!**

**This is a slightly shorter chapter, but you all get some answer this chapter so I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

James sat in the leather chair of Deckard Shaw's plane, staring down the barrel of Jake Ryan's gun just as he had been for the last hour or longer. In that time, he'd invented a dozen potential ways of getting out of this situation, and dismissed them one after the other due to his lack of weapon and ability to fly.

The layout of this plane was the same as his family's. The furnishings were more upscale but far less comfortable. James surveyed the clouds passing by the window, surprised at how _un_-freaked he was about being in a plane. Then again, being held captive by a guy who'd likely shoot you as soon as the plane landed really put the risks of air travel into perspective.

Jake sat in a chair opposite him, swiveled sideways, so he could keep one eye on Ethan in the cockpit while keeping track of James in the living area. James hadn't heard from Ethan since they'd first taken off. Jake had shoved him into a seat near Ethan in the cockpit and then forced Ethan to input coordinates and take off in some crazy-ass way that had made Ethan flush red and mutter things about recklessness and suicide. Then Jake had yanked James up again, as soon as they'd reached cruising altitude, and brought him back here, no doubt to keep him away from Ethan, who vibrated with crazy anger just being in the proximity of Jake.

James needed to talk to Ethan if they were ever going to find a way out of this alive, and James needed at least Ethan to survive, for Kendall's sake. Shane and Jett would have each other, plus Shane had his work, and Jett had his mom. But Kendall...James couldn't imagine what he must be feeling right now, having his brother ripped away from him again, after all that Kendall had gone through, all he'd sacrificed. James rubbed his thumb over the pocket of his shorts, feeling the outline of Kendall's lucky quarter against his finger. A lump lodged in his throat.

He needed to get Ethan back to Kendall.

He watched the madman sitting across from him, gun in one hand and a cell phone in the other. Jake was hunched forward in his seat, elbows on his knees, breathing erratically. He kept running the cell phone across his forehead in a nervous way like he was waiting for it to ring with a call from wherever the hell they were headed. Would Jake deliver him and Ethan to his real bosses, the people who'd paid Jake to kill his parents?

"Jake," James began, and Jake's head flew up, eyes wild. James shrank back, making himself as non-threatening as possible. "I just...I was wondering. Who paid you?"

"What?"

"A year ago, the crash," James whispered. "We already figured out someone must have paid you to kill my parents."

Jake's head went back, a smile forming on his lips. "Why the hell would I tell you?"

"Why wouldn't you?" James swallowed. "I mean, you're going to kill me anyway when we land, aren't you?"

"Maybe," Jake shrugged, his eyes cagey. "I haven't decided yet. It might be better to keep a hostage for a while, and you're a better bet than Schmidt."

"Right, okay. Well, I'm assuming you will at some point," James said sadly, letting real fear thread through his voice, real tears spring to his eyes. "I think I'd kind of like to know the truth before it happens. Wouldn't you if the positions were reversed? Call it my last request."

Jake laughed, a single quick bark, then a longer stream of chuckles. "Aww. You're scared aren't you, James?"

James nodded seriously. "Of course. You're the guy with the fucking gun."

"Hmmm. Yes, I am," Jake agreed. His smile turned smug. "Crazy thing about your parents. I had to set it up to look like an accident. I had to be above reproach." He rolled his eyes. "Harder than you think."

James nodded and glanced away, and as he did, he saw something move from the corner of his eye, a sliver of reflected light from further down the hall, from the bathroom and bedroom area. He kept his gaze trained there, hoping Jake would think he was trying to compose himself, and he saw it again-a definite flash of light, reflected off the surface of a picture in the gangway.

_Was there someone else on this plane? _James' pulse kicked up and he sat straighter. Had Kendall or one of the others somehow managed to sneak aboard? How could he twist this to his advantage?

"Who engineered it?" James demanded, wanting Jake's attention focused on him.

Jake snickered and leaned back in his chair. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Can't be any crazier than some of the thoughts I've entertained this week," James argued. "Kendall thought for a while that Shane was involved."

"_Shane_? Your brother?" Jake laughed out loud. "Oh, God! I wish I'd thought of that. Did you believe it?"

"Not really," James said, watching the light creep closer along the gangway. "But I wondered who else it could have been. Maybe one of his competitors?"

Jake shook his head, enjoying the game. "Nope. Much, much closer."

James ground his teeth together at Jake's taunting tone and looked to the side again. The light had gone, but now James could see a shadow. Someone was standing right in the bedroom doorway, listening to them. "What would you say if I told you it was one of your father's most trusted friends?"

"One of dad's friends?" James repeated. His attention caught now, between the shadow in the bedroom and the story that Jake was telling. "Who?"

"Guess."

James rubbed at the back of his neck impatiently. "I...I don't know. I can't imagine why anyone would want to hurt my dad. Was it someone from the board? Carl, maybe? Or maybe the guy below him in the department, Drew?"

"Closer than that." Jake's voice was sober now, all his humor gone. "One of his best friends ever. Someone he trusted implicitly."

Jake's eyes darted unconsciously to the cell phone in his hand, and James saw what he'd been missing all along.

They were in Deckard Shaw's plane, with Deckard Shaw's assistant. "Uncle Shaw," he breathed. "Not possible. He loved my dad."

Jake nodded. "He did. Killed him to do it, but your dad made his bed." Jake shrugged.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? What did Dad ever do to Uncle Shaw that could possibly have led to this?" James fought to keep his temper in check, but how _dare_ this man talk so casually about ending his parents' lives?

"The usual." Jake shrugged. "Screwed him over. Left him hanging in the wind. Your dad made it clear he couldn't be trusted."

"You're wrong," James argued. "Dad was totally trustworthy."

Jake shook his head with mock regret, then smiled. "You still think your dad was a saint. It's so cute. Probably better you die thinking that way, huh?"

The shadow was still standing in the doorway, and James wondered for a second if it could be Uncle..._no_. Deckard Shaw was _not _his uncle, and it couldn't be Deckard out there, or he doubted Jake would have spoken so frankly. If it was someone who could help James and Ethan, he had to get them in the proper position and somehow neutralize Jake's gun. Whether James made it off the plane or not, he needed to make certain Deckard Shaw would pay.

He forced himself to shrug and look unconcerned. "Maybe we won't die today anyway."

Jake smiled and turned the gun so it pointed directly at James. "I think it's up to me though, isn't it?"

"Well, Ethan's flying the plane," James said. "Who knows where we'll end up."

"Nah," Jake said, but his eyelid flickered. "He inputted the coordinates for a small airport outside of Miami, just as I told him to."

"He can't change them in flight?" James asked innocently. He was pretty sure Ethan could and probably _would_. "You'd know better than me."

Jake's eyes narrowed as he realized the flaw in his plan. He glanced back at the cockpit and his breathing hitched. "You're just trying to get me to leave you here while I go check on Ethan," he accused.

James' eyes widened. "Of course not. What could _I _do? I don't have a weapon."

Just as he'd hoped, Jake looked more suspicious than ever. "Get up," he commanded. "We can both go sit in the cockpit."

James stood slowly and pretended reluctance. "I could just stay here…"

"Get your ass over here," Jake said, rising to his feet and backing up, leaving plenty of room for James to precede him. James stepped forward until he was blocking Jake's view of the cockpit. He turned his head to glare at Jake _and _get a direct line of sight into the tiny bedroom in the rear of the plane. He caught the faintest glimpse of a man with dark hair before Jake barked at him to get moving.

James' stomach plummeted. Was that Dak? Had he been involved in this plot the whole time? Was he working with his father and Jake? Suddenly, being trapped in a cockpit with Ethan and this madman didn't seem like any sort of a decent plan.

"I was just messing with you," James said nervously. "Ethan wouldn't play games like that, not with me on board."

"Too late for second-guessing," Jake sneered. "Move your ass."

James didn't have to feign his reluctance as he walked the short distance into the cockpit.

"Sit," Jake said, gesturing toward the copilot's seat. James glanced out the window, but there was nothing to see except unrelenting blue-clear blue sky over a darker blue ocean, no land anywhere in sight. He swallowed hard, felt his stomach lurch, but he didn't have time for a panic attack right then. Death was a lot more certain than a plane crash.

Ethan glanced over as James sat down and stared at him, but unlike his brother, Ethan couldn't relay messages to James with just his eyes. James had no idea what Ethan was trying to tell him.

"I'm sorry," James said to Ethan. If it hadn't been for him, Ethan wouldn't have been on this plane at all.

Ethan lifted his chin in acknowledgment before he said, "I didn't do it for you, Diamond. I did it for Kendall. He loves you."

"Shut up," Jake said, motioning with his gun. He glanced at the instrumentation and must have somehow determined that they were still in the correct course, because his posture relaxed. "Not a word from either of you."

But James was done following orders. If he was going to die, there were things he needed to say first.

"It's not like that for him," he explained to Ethan. "Kendall...we...I don't know what we could have had, but he wasn't there yet. It's okay, though. I know he cared, and he knows how I felt." He dug into his pocket and retrieved Kendall's quarter.

"Hey! Keep your hands where I can see them," Jake said, but he relaxed when James displayed the simple coin in his hand.

James held it up, turning sideways in his seat to show it to Ethan, and he saw that Jake's attention was riveted on it, too. From the cabin beyond, he saw movement and prayed that Dak or whoever was out there wasn't working with Jake.

"Kendall let me borrow this," he told Ethan. "He told me _you _gave it to him a while back."

Ethan looked at James like he was crazy. Maybe he was. From the corner of his eye, he watched the shadow outside the cockpit door creep closer. Whoever was out there was trying to conceal their presence. James knew he needed to distract Jake and give them the element of surprise.

"I figured you'd want it back," James told Ethan, trying to convey with his eyes that Ethan should play along. And then he flipped the quarter in a perfect arc.

Jake's attention was focused on the coin as it sailed through the air, heading for Ethan's outstretched palm, and he never noticed the arm reaching around to grab him from behind. James jumped from his seat, both of his hands reaching for the wrist of Jake's gun hand and forcing it up to the ceiling, even as the fourth person yanked Jake backward, trying to wrestle him to the floor. James lost his grip for a split second, falling forward as Jake was wrenched back, and in that second, Jake fired.

Ethan cried out as sparks shot from the control panel. The plane dipped precariously.

James' stomach roiled, but he levered himself up anyway, grabbing Jake's wrist again, his knee digging hard into Jake's thigh as they wrestled on the tiny floor. The other man-_Dak_. It _was _Dak-was trapped underneath Jake, his arm still around Jake's neck, but he was losing the struggle as Jake elbowed him relentlessly with his free arm.

James made it up onto his knees, gaining leverage over Jake and pushing his wrist in the opposite direction so Dak could have more room to maneuver himself free. James pinned Jake's wrist to the floor, moved his knee onto Jake's forearm, then grabbed the gun from his hand. The men on the floor continued to wrestle.

"Stop!" James shouted, holding the gun in both hands. He was balanced on his knees, his back braced against Ethan's seat as Ethan struggled frantically to bring the plane under control. "Jake, I swear to God, I will shoot you if you don't leave Dak alone," he promised.

Jake froze, stomach to the floor, and Dak scrambled away from him. Dak's nose was bleeding copiously and tears seemed to brim his eyes as he kept a protective arm coiled around his ribs.

"Dak?" Jake asked dumbly, as though he'd only just processed who he'd been fighting with for the past minute.

"Are you okay?" James asked as Dak backed himself over to the cabin wall. He managed to get his feet underneath him and slid himself up the wall using it for support. He looked as though he might vomit.

"No," Dak whispered, staring at Jake with disgust and betrayal stamped onto his features. "I am not okay. You _killed _them?" he demanded.

"Dak, baby, I can explain!" Jake pleaded.

_Baby? _Now the utterly wrecked look in Dak's eyes made so much sense.

And also, _holy shit._

"_Shaw_ was behind everything? And you were working with him the whole time? I thought...I thought we…" Devastation was evident in every word Dak spoke.

The plane dipped again. "_Fuck_. The electronics are damaged," Ethan said, his voice thick with tension. "We need to make an emergency landing. The communication system isn't working, James. I need a cell phone."

"Dak, get Jake's cell and give it to Ethan," James said, keeping the gun aimed at Jake.

Dak dropped to his knees, still clutching his ribs as he wrestled the cell phone from Jake's back pocket, handing it to Ethan.

"I have my phone, too," Dak said, bracing himself against James' shoulder as he heaved himself to his feet.

"Dak, call your dad," Jake said. "Explain what's happened. He'll help you."

"Fuck you. And fuck him, too. Don't even talk to me," Dak said. He stepped to one side and kicked Jake in the ribs, flinching and clutching his own stomach tighter. "I heard what you said about him. I heard everything."

"Kendall? Kendall listen to me," Ethan said into the phone. "No, don't put me on speaker. Are you listening? Kendall! He's fine. He's _fine_, I swear. Yeah, I'm fine, too. The Senator's son is here, and he's fine as well. James got Jake's gun. There was some damage to the plane and I'm setting it down early. I need you to...You did _what_? Oh my God."

James fought the urge to swivel his head as Ethan groaned.

"No, no, it's fine," Ethan sighed. "Yeah, I know. I get it." His tone was wry. "It'll be alright. It was going to happen anyway. Listen, are you alone? I need you to be alone, Kendall," He paused for a minute, then said, "Listen, we know who paid Jake. It was Deckard Shaw."

From the corner of his eye, James saw Dak bury his head in his hands. Meanwhile, Jake punched the floor and screamed, "Fuck!" He tried to stand, as though trying some misguided, last-ditch means of escape, so James instinctively reached out, bringing the butt of the gun down hard on the back of his head.

Jake collapsed back to the floor and didn't move.

"Uh...that was nothing," Ethan said, obviously trying to soothe Kendall. "Just a little trouble with Jake, but your boyfriend took care of it."

James sat back, his hands trembling as he continued holding the gun tight. _Holy crap, what did I just do? _He couldn't tell if Jake was still breathing, and he was too afraid to check.

Ethan paused before turning his head towards James. "Yeah, I guess he is. Jury's still out." He coughed slightly. "Anyway, I'm turning back, heaving for St. Michel. They have a small airport, you need to radio ahead and make sure...Right, yes. Exactly. Okay, and whatever you do, don't tell...Alright, okay, you know how to do your job. Yeah, I've got this under control." Ethan's voice was confident. "You can tell him yourself. We're landing in about fifteen minutes." Another pause. "Yeah, brother. I promise."

"What now?" James asked. His head was spinning and his voice was thin. He was barely hanging on.

"Now I land," Ethan said. "You did good, James, but I've got it from here. Just pull down the jump seat and strap yourself in."

"What about him?" James asked, indicating the body on the floor.

Dak swiveled his head and caught James' eye. "Leave him. I hope his balls are whacked all the way up to his tonsils when we touch down."

James nodded. He unfolded the seat Ethan had indicated and strapped himself in, closing his eyes as he felt the plane begin to descend. He thought about Kendall and Shane, then about his parents, and he sent a prayer out to nobody in particular.

_If we make it, if we land safely, I will never hesitate again, _he promised. _I will celebrate every single day. I will hug Shane and maybe even Jett. I'll volunteer again. I will make sure Deckard Shaw gets what's coming to him. I will not be a martyr anymore. I will make Kendall tell me he loves me, even if he tries to be a stubborn idiot, because no matter how it all started, loving him is the truest thing I know._

"Brace yourselves," Ethan said as the plane slipped slowly down from the sky.

* * *

**Done! So, there you have it! Most of you called Shaw being the one who orchestrated everything with the help of Jake, so I'm sure this didn't come as much of a surprise to you. :P But hey, at least James is alive! **

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, as well as if you happened to have a favorite part/moment!**

**Again, I hope you all enjoyed and that you all are staying safe and healthy! Unfortunately, the next chapter of this story is also the last. That'll be up either later this week or early next week. Also, there may or may not be a new story coming within the next week or so as well. ;)**

**Until then! **

**-Epically Obsessed**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Hello everyone! We've officially reached the final chapter of Easy!**

**Before we get started, I would like to thank everyone that read the last chapter and just this story in general! I would also like to give a huge thank you to winterschild11, Side1ways, Guest, and RainbowDiamonds for reviewing! :)**

**I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

"Where is he?" Kendall demanded.

Shane, jogging into the airport from the blazing hot tarmac alongside him, shook his head. "I don't see any of them."

The airport on this small island was a tiny building, hardly more than a rain shelter, and today, the place was packed with law enforcement personnel-local police, international investigators, and even a few people wearing FBI jackets who were here in an 'unofficial' capacity.

"If it hadn't taken so long to get here…" Kendall fumed, running a hand through his hair.

Shane glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "Hardly my fault that almost every plane in the hangar was damaged by the wash from Shaw's engine, Knight."

"Well, what good are your billions if you can't get us a plane in less than five hours?" Kendall scoffed. "People from the _States _are here already."

As it was, they'd had to co-opt another pilot staying on the island to fly them over in his tiny prop-plane, only big enough for two passengers. Kendall had never been particularly frightened of air travel, and even _he'd _had to fight the urge to puke.

"You could've stuck with Senator Shaw and Jenna," Shane said, a hard edge to his voice.

Kendall noticed he'd immediately dropped the _Uncle_, and winced, guilt flashing through him. As hard as this day had been for him, it had to have been even harder for Shane, knowing someone he'd trusted had betrayed him so acutely.

"Yeah, no thank you," Kendall said. "Fortunately, the _yacht _will take another few hours to get here."

Once Shane relayed the message that Jake had taken off with Dak, James, and Ethan as hostages, Shaw had been beside himself. As soon as Jett had informed him his plane had touched down in St. Michel, Shaw had insisted on taking one of the yachts docked on St. Brigitte and traveling to St. Michel by boat, rather than waiting for a plane as Kendall and Shane had. It turned out not to have been a wise decision.

Kendall turned in a wide circle, searching for James, when a hand reached out to clasp him on the shoulder.

"Kendall," Gustavo said, and Kendall couldn't help but pull him into a hug.

"Thank you so much for getting here," he told his former boss.

Gustavo pounded him on the back, obviously taken aback. "Um...yeah, I'm just glad you called me," he said. "Carlos and Lucy are so pissed I didn't let them come, but there was no time."

"You kept things on the QT?" Kendall asked, already knowing the answer but wanting it confirmed.

"Yeah. I haven't said anything about the senator possibly being involved." Gustavo blew out a breath. "Good luck to you with proving that." He glanced at Shane, and Kendall belatedly introduced them.

"Well, we apprehended the guy who arranged the incident," Kendall reminded him as Shane and Gustavo shook hands. "But Senator Shaw's not much of a flight risk. I don't think you need to take him into custody until we get our guy to turn him in."

"Jake Ryan?" Gustavo's head tilted to the side and he looked at Kendall appraisingly. "I dunno if it's gonna be as straightforward as you think. He's clammed up. Not a word since we got here. Locals were already on the ground waiting for them when they landed, brought him out on a stretcher because he was knocked out cold, apparently by your boyfriend." Gustavo didn't even try to hide his amusement. "I like him, by the way."

Shane rolled his eyes, but Kendall didn't give a shit what Shane thought. As long as James would have him, that's where he'd be. Speaking of which…

"Where is James?" he asked Gustavo.

"Outside. Come on, I'll show you." He walked them to the front of the small building, pointing to a closed door as they passed. "That's the manager's office, where we're keeping Jake for now. He woke up pretty quick after we got him inside. No lasting damage. But now he's looking for an attorney. Not a big surprise, but don't start thinking you've got an easy case," Gustavo warned.

"Yeah, but from what Ethan said when he called from the plane-"

Gustavo stopped still. "Who? Sorry, I don't know anyone by that name. Certainly no one who was on the plane. Both Dak Zevon and James Diamond have stated on record it was only the two of them, along with Jake. And..._anyone else_...was already gone by the time I got here." He smiled at Kendall. "Apparently he said to tell you he'd call. Soon."

Shane's head went back, a small smile lifting his lips. "Well done," he said.

"Incredible," Kendall corrected, shaking his head in gratitude.

"Incredible? Please. I'm amazing. But I'll take the compliment from the guy who carried a thumb drive of hardcore porn in his pocket, just when he knew Clark was gonna go looking for it." He rolled his eyes, and Kendall felt a flush spread across his cheeks.

In retrospect, perhaps not his _wisest _choice. "You, uh...figured it out?"

"Told you before, Knight. You don't have _any _tricks I don't know about. James and Dak plan to say Jake flew the plane in, and they clocked him after they'd landed when he attempted to kill them." Gustavo gave them a quick wink. "Just FYI. And between their testimony and the interview footage from after the accident, I think they're going to have a solid case against the guy without involving your brother at all unless he wants to come forward."

"Thank you," Kendall told him, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "I'm really glad I called you."

"Don't thank me," Gustavo said, shaking his head. "I'm fucking glad you realized you _should _call. Looks like something I said finally penetrated that hard head of yours."

Kendall smiled. Some_one _had gotten through to him alright, but it had nothing to do with Gustavo's words.

They resumed walking until they got to the front entrance of the airport. Outside, the setting sun reflected off the windows of a few cars, and tall palm trees swayed in the hot breeze. Off to one side, there was a small seating area and a picnic table with benches on either side. Dak was curled up awkwardly on one of the wooden chairs, his weight on one side. When he saw the men appear in the doorway, he stood up slowly and began walking towards them, clearly hurt.

James sat on the far side of the picnic table, facing away from them. He was hunched over, elbows on knees, staring into the distance. He was so real and so _alive_, Kendall had to stop himself from jogging over and wrapping him up in a big hug.

_You're gonna have to do some convincing, _he reminded himself. But it would be worth it.

He put a restraining hand on Shane's arm when he started to make his way over to his brother.

"Hey, can I?" he asked, nodding at James.

Shane looked at Kendall grimly. Kendall bristled as he prepared for some sort of threat or warning which, frankly, the guy didn't deserve to be handing out. But Shane surprised him.

"Hold him tight," was all he said. He looked over at his brother sadly, then clapped Kendall on the shoulder. "And don't fuck up."

He turned and walked back into the airport.

Kendall took a deep breath, walked toward James, his feet moving faster and faster until he was full-out running. James turned as soon as he heard someone approaching, and stood with a bright smile on his face as Kendall crashed into him, throwing his arms around his man and picking him up off the ground.

"Hey," James said.

"I was so fucking scared," Kendall spoke the words into James' hair. It wasn't what he'd intended to say, but then nothing seemed to go according to plan when he was with James. He'd learn to just enjoy the ride. "And I love you," he blurted out. "Not...not because I was scared, okay? Just...I should have said it before. I knew it yesterday...hell, I probably knew it last week, and I was just too afraid to tell you."

He set James back on his feet and pulled away slightly so he could see his face-the hazel eyes, those long lashes, the blush Kendall loved to put on his cheeks. "I know this has all been my fault, James. It was my fault you weren't standing beside me in the hangar. Hell, it was my fault you were even on the fucking island in the first place. I lied to you, and took the easy way out."

James shook his head and Kendall panicked. _Be more convincing, Knight._

He ran a hand through his hair. "Listen, I know this is deja vu, me convincing you to give me another chance. What am I on now, my fourth? My fifth?" He winced. "And it's not like I can say this is gonna be the last chance I need, either. I mean, I'm probably going to need six more before we get back to Boston. But I learn from my mistakes, James." He swallowed. "I just need you to trust me."

"You called the FBI," James said when Kendall finally gave him a chance to speak.

Kendall frowned. _Okaaay_. Not quite the return declaration he'd been hoping for. He let his hands drop to James' waist.

"Yeah, of course. I called Gustavo," he said, hooking a thumb towards the building. "The second you guys took off. I was scared to death. I had no idea what else to do."

"No, Ken," James said, his own arms still wrapped around Kendall's neck. _"You called the FBI_. You called your team to come and save us, even though you knew it might get Ethan in trouble." He grinned. "I'd already figured out you loved me. I promised myself if we landed safely, I would tie you up and force you to tell me."

A smile tugged at Kendall's lips. "Is that so?"

"Yup. Maybe I still will." His gaze was teasing, and Kendall became lost in it. "But when we landed and the authorities were here, that's when I _knew_. There was no way you'd risk Ethan unless...unless you already realized you loved me, too."

Kendall shook his head. "I couldn't let anything happen to you. I love Ethan, but you...you've become everything somehow. It's crazy, huh?"

James' smile was as bright as the sun. "Yeah. Totally illogical. But this really smart guy once told me, the most illogical things are sometimes the truest."

Kendall leaned forward and gently took James' mouth with his, nibbling at the gorgeous lower lip that had fascinated him from the very beginning. "We'll see who ties up who, Badass," he warned James. And then he leaned forward and claimed the laughing mouth with his own-slow and easy and forever.

* * *

"Marcus, how about you fill us in on the modifications for the…" Shane's voice carried across the table as he spoke to the manager of a Diamond Tech research division in Spokane whose face was plastered on a giant wall-mounted flat-screen, but James could barely force himself to listen. Despite the bright sunlight flooding the conference room through the floor-to-ceiling windows behind him, and the extra-large coffee on the table in front of him, James was _tired_.

On the other side of the thick, glass-block privacy walls which cocooned the conference room for the rest of the office, no doubt the employees of Diamond Tech were moving around, hurrying to finish their work before they could leave for the weekend. James was just a tiny bit jealous. He wondered for the twenty-seventh time why Shane always scheduled these meetings on Friday mornings.

Not that having Shane at the helm again was in any way a bad thing. In fact, it was one major silver lining to all the shit that had gone down on St. Brigitte and the even bigger mess they'd found when they returned.

Deckard Shaw's betrayal and the ramifications of it were things James and Shane would struggle with for a long time, but it helped to know Shane was back among the living, no longer swamped under the weight of his own grief, and he and Jett were closer than ever.

Ethan was still in the wind all these months later. With Shaw still awaiting trial, Ethan had decided to stay low for a while since he was technically a dead man. He had been in constant contact with Kendall though, and eventually, even James had begun receiving regular texts from him. It had taken a bit of time, but Ethan had eventually warmed up to James.

"You mean a lot to my brother, and it seems like you're here to stay, so...welcome to the family ." Ethan had said to James in one of the rare moments that they were alone. It was followed up by a threat, of course, but the sentiment meant a lot to James all the same.

Ethan had apparently been in contact with Shane as well, which came as a shock to both James and Kendall. Shane and Ethan were tight-lipped about how they got in contact with each other and what they talked about, but they were apparently getting along well, so James and Kendall had both let it go.

Thankfully, Shane and Kendall had a pretty easy time getting along as well. They fought and argued even more than James and Kendall did, but it was mostly for show. James knew they were closer than they let on, and it was their protectiveness of him that had brought them closer together.

James' cell phone buzzed almost imperceptibly, and he withdrew it from his pocket.

_**Kendall: **__I feel like we need a vacation._

James rolled his eyes as he read the message, but couldn't stop the smile from tugging at his lips. He glanced across the table to find his boyfriend, the newly appointed head of Diamond Tech's new Internal Security Division, waggling his eyebrows meaningfully.

Kendall Knight was completely incorrigible, and unconditionally _his_. He typed his reply quickly, knowing exactly how to provoke his man.

_**James: **__You do realize we're in the middle of a board meeting?_

_**Kendall: **__Think you mean a bored meeting. Ha!_

James stifled a smirk-the dad humor was terrible-just as another text buzzed through.

_**Kendall: **__FYI, Kelly agrees. We need a vacation._

_**James: **__Kelly? My assistant? You chatted with her about this?_

_**Kendall: **__Yup. We talked. Last night while I was waiting for you. She's very concerned about your stress levels. You're not getting any younger you know._

No surprise there. Of course Kelly had agreed with whatever scheme Kendall concocted; she'd been Kendall's BFF since pretty much day one of him starting here. She told James she loved the way Kendall had lightened his heart...which was such a sweet and _accurate _way of putting it, James couldn't even be mad even when she conspired with Kendall behind his back. His heart _was _lighter these days. And fuller, too.

_**James: **__I am twenty-six, Kenny._

_**Kendall: **__And apparently too senile to remember my name, brat._

James pushed his lips together, fighting the pulse of heat rising from his stomach. With Kendall, arousal was a steady current always running just beneath his skin.

_**James: **__Shhh. I need to pay attention to the meeting._

_**Kendall: **__Bullshit. You're not paying attention. You're probably thinking about last night._

The annoying man was not wrong, but James would be damned if he'd admit it. He put his phone facedown on the table and pretended to watch Marcus talk about..._something_...from the flat-screen on the wall, but in reality, James was definitely thinking about last night.

It had started out with a stupid bet, the kind that had become a daily occurrence in their relationship. James hadn't known quite how competitive he was until Kendall started turning every thrown wad of paper into a game of basketball, and every glass of wine into a round of Never Have I Ever. He also hadn't known it was possible to laugh as much as he did with his rule-skirting boyfriend.

Sadly for Kendall, who was arguably even more competitive than James, his League of Legends game had never quite picked up, probably because he insisted on playing with James sitting beside him, leaning against his arm, massaging his shoulders and...other things. Kendall's matches invariably involved him being killed early on, while people on the chat swore ripely and suggested anatomically-impossible moves in angry Russian. Six months after his first game, he was still unranked...but it didn't seem to dull his enthusiasm for "practicing."

Last night, however, Kendall had suggested James demonstrate his own skills, while Kendall took careful notes. James hadn't been particularly enthusiastic. Only a month ago, he and Kendall had bought a townhouse of their own, and they were still in the process of moving in. Between painting the rooms-and the laughter-filled competitions required to determine the colors each room would be painted-moving furniture around until Kendall lost his temper and decided leaving the whole lot in the middle of the room would be a great way to start off conversations, and the emotional rollercoaster ride of unboxing and hanging the family pictures James had taken from his parents' house, he'd already been tired, but Kendall had insisted. If James could finish a match before Kendall got him off, he'd win the forfeit of his choice. Otherwise, Kendall would have to settle for an IOU.

It had been too tempting to resist.

Besides which, James knew that he'd been able to complete matches in less than twenty minutes-sometimes less than fifteen. Tired as he was, distracted as he was, he was confident he could hold out. James had already decided he would hold onto that IOU because he had something special in the works for their first Valentine's Day together.

"Fine," he'd told Kendall. "Let's do this."

But of course, Kendall hadn't been able to resist stacking the table against him. Within the first minute of the game, Kendall had been naked and hard, and he'd stripped off James' clothes too in record time.

Kendall had started off with a slow, sensual massage that had completely killed every one of James' defenses, then he'd crawled beneath James' desk, like a fantasy come to life, and used that extremely-skilled mouth of his to make James scream before five minutes had even passed.

It had been the hardest, most satisfying orgasm James had enjoyed in weeks of very satisfying orgasms.

He's also been utterly crushed in his match.

He shifted his legs beneath the table now, just remembering the sensation of Kendall's mouth on him. His phone buzzed again, and James turned it over, desperate for a distraction.

_**Kendall: **__Imagine if I were kneeling in front of you right now, in the boardroom. I'd be under the table looking up at you…_

_**Kendall: **__My hands would be on your thighs, rubbing them. Can you feel it?_

Oh, fuck. This was exactly the kind of distraction James _didn't _need.

He glanced down the table at Shane, who was listening intently to Marcus, and along the other side, toward Jett, who was listening intently to Marcus as well. Neither seemed to notice the flush creeping across James' cheeks, but Drew Pearce had. He cocked a concerned eyebrow at James.

_**James: **__Drew is looking at me right now. Do you want me to be rock hard while he's watching me?_

James already knew the answer to his question. Kendall was uncompromisingly protective of James, including James' privacy. There was no way Kendall would want Drew to suspect anything. And while Kendall wasn't overbearingly jealous, he was definitely territorial. Sure enough, Kendall sent a dark glare down the table at Drew.

James stifled a laugh and realized he didn't give a shit about the meeting anymore. He bit his lip as he typed.

_**James: **__That's probably the hottest thing I've seen today._

Kendall's brow puckered in confusion.

_**Kendall: **__What? The Marcus guy from Seattle?_

_**James: **__Spokane. And no._

_**Kendall: **__You don't mean Drew._

James snickered. Poor Drew.

_**James: **__Not Drew._

_**Kendall: **__Then what?_

_**James: **__There's this guy across from me._

Kendall raised an eyebrow, then bit his lip.

_**Kendall: **__Do tell._

_**James: **__He's totally hot, and just a tad jealous. Lean body, green eyes, makes me hard instantly, has these hands…_

_**Kendall: **__Hands?_

_**James: **__Yup. Nice, talented hands. Can't text for shit, but they're amazing on my skin…_

_**Kendall: **__Yeah? I'm calling in my IOU._

James frowned at Kendall across the table.

_**James: **__For what?_

_**Kendall: **__Tell you in a minute._

_**Kendall: **__Now about that vacation._

James looked at his boyfriend suspiciously, wondering what the hell he had in mind. It wouldn't be office sex, or at least he didn't think so. They'd done that already, christening both James' office, Kendall's brand new office, as well as the elevator and several other key places James couldn't remember without blushing.

When Kendall had chosen to leave the FBI, rather than wait to hear the outcome of their internal investigation into his conduct, James had been a little worried Kendall would regret his decision. He'd come to realize just how much that badge meant to someone who'd struggled to find his place in the world the way Kendall had. He'd wondered if Kendall would ever find a job he enjoyed half as much. And then Shane had announced the need for more internal security and decided to set up the new division-people who could prevent individuals such as Deckard Shaw from taking advantage of them. When Shane pitched the idea to Kendall and mentioned that part of the job description would be protecting James, Kendall had rolled his eyes and leaped at the chance.

_Then _James had been concerned that working closely together might be slightly too much stress on their new relationship...but the exact opposite had been true. As with moving in together-a choice several people, including Shane, had felt they'd made too soon-they found things were simply better when they were together. The more time James spent with Kendall, the more confident and grounded he felt in himself. Kendall was a strong guy with a powerful personality, but when it came to James he was nothing but protective and supportive.

_**James: **__We only took a trip to a luxurious private island six months ago._

_**Kendall: **__Funnily enough, the kidnapping kinda kills my buzz when it comes to thinking about that trip._

_**James: **__Don't say that, Ken. I remember with fondness several parts of our trip._

_**James: **__My favorite part was that Friday night…_

Friday night on the island was the first time Kendall had let James top him. It wasn't the only time it happened over the past few months, but it was definitely less common-both of them usually preferred when Kendall was in charge. Still, nothing set his man on fire like the memory of that night.

Kendall's eyes met his across the table and then narrowed. Tension crackled between them as if a live wire had fallen across the table, and James knew Kendall was replaying every second of that night.

He shivered. He wasn't quite sure how tonight was going to play out, but he knew it would be fun.

He glanced at the clock to see how much longer this meeting could possibly last when his phone buzzed again.

_**Kendall: **__You cannot distract me, Badass._

_**Kendall: **__Let's play a game._

_**Kendall: **__Never have I ever gone to a place with a private pool._

James rolled his eyes across the table. His boyfriend had an inexhaustible supply of games. Fortunately, almost all of them ended in a win for James.

_**James: **__This game doesn't work over text. We've established this. Besides, you and I have been in a pool alone. Our first night together, remember? Which makes it sort of private._

_**Kendall: **__Oh, I remember. I'm feeling the need to blow off some steam._

_**James: **__Want to scream underwater and see if I hear you?_

_**Kendall: **__Want to make you scream underwater._

James shivered and put the phone facedown, glaring at his man across the table. Kendall's face seemed all innocent, despite the hair and scruff which James loved to rub with his fingers.

_**James: **__Drew is getting ideas._

Across the table, Kendall hid a chuckle behind his hand.

_**Kendall: **__You getting excited, Jay?_

_**Kendall: **__Maybe I don't care whether Drew knows something's up, as long as he sees those glassy, hazel eyes are watching ME, your cheeks are all red because of ME, and you are MINE._

James pressed his lips together and fought not to shiver.

_**James: **__Such a Neanderthal._

_**Kendall: **__And you get off on it._

Truth. Undeniable truth.

_**Kendall: **__Never have I ever had sex on a beach._

_**James: **__Seriously? Still doesn't work over text, babe. But you know very well I hadn't the last time we were at the beach, and I'm not likely to have accomplished it since then without you._

The closest he'd come had been on St. Brigitte, and as much as he enjoyed that memory, he was in no hurry to fly back and repeat it.

_**Kendall: **__God, you know I love it._

_**James: **__I know. You love having my firsts._

A few weeks before, Kendall had taken great delight in showing him just how _much _he loved being James' _first _at so many things-first man he'd fallen in love with, first man he'd lived with, first man he'd ditched condoms with.

Kendall frowned down at his phone as he read James' message, and his expression had James frowning, too.

_**James: **__What's with the face? You rethinking your stance on firsts?_

_**Kendall: **__Hmmm. Maybe I am a little._

What the hell? Since when? James scowled as he typed.

_**James: **__Well, you're a bit late!_

_**Kendall: **__Your firsts aren't good enough._

James stared at his boyfriend, but Kendall was looking out of the window behind James' head, a small smile playing on his lips. Was he trying to be funny? If so, he was failing miserably.

_**James: **__Fine, then. Maybe I'll see if Jett or Dak or maybe even Drew is interested in giving me some more experience._

Fighting words and James knew it, but he was more than a little pissed at the curve this conversation had taken. He jabbed at the Send key with more force than necessary as his mind drifted to Dak.

After everything that had went down with the Shaws, Dak had been understandably crushed. While the rest of his family had stuck together through the whole ordeal, Dak has broken away from the Shaws resolutely.

It had taken some time, but Dak has eventually begun to pick up the pieces and move forward with his life. Shane didn't hesitate to offer Dak a position at the company, which Dak gratefully accepted. Jett and Dak had immediately hit it off, though it seemed they were each too scared to make the first move. James and Kendall had both begun brainstorming ways to get the two together, but James was just happy to have Dak back in his life.

He shook his head and pointedly turned his attention to Marcus.

"Thanks, Marcus. Send me that proposal and I'll have Jett's team jump on it," Shane said easily. "Sounds like a great fit, and thanks for bringing it to our attention."

From down the table, James saw Jett lean back with his hands folded across his chest, and nod once.

"Chelsea, can you switch to Dr. Grayson, please?" Shane asked one of the techs. Chelsea cut Marcus' feed and switched to another image, this one was a young brunette with long curly hair and dark eyes. James recognized her right away.

"Pam," he said, momentarily forgetting he was pissed at Kendall. "How's it going?"

Pam smiled and proceeded to fill them all in on the great progress they'd made in implementing and testing the new virtual reality surgical techniques James had greenlit on behalf of Diamond's biomedical division.

"We've already helped save lives thanks to this technique," she told the board.

Shane glanced down the table at James and met his eyes for a moment. From the minute he'd taken up his CEO position again, he'd been filled with nothing but praise for James' performance in holding down the fort during his absence. At first, James had rolled his eyes-he'd felt as though he was barely getting the job done from day to day, and anything he'd managed to accomplish was based on nothing but sheer good luck. Slowly, though, he's started seeing things with new eyes, seeing _himself _with new eyes. And yeah, maybe some of this had to do with the annoying jerk sitting on the other side of the table who James was pointedly _not _looking at.

A few minutes later, Shane drew the meeting to a close and everyone slowly began gathering their things, pushing away from the table, and breaking off into smaller conversations. James sat where he was, doodling with his pen on the edge of a piece of notebook paper. He didn't want to give Kendall the opportunity to explain quite yet. He wanted to stew for a minute or two first.

But the door to the conference room suddenly locked with a quiet _click_, and James looked up.

Everyone was gone. The room was completely empty except for James...and the bane of his existence, who was looking at him with smoldering green eyes.

"What are you doing?" James demanded.

Kendall stalked toward him, all long limbs and lean muscles beneath his casual Friday polo and the jeans he had insisted on wearing. For just a second, some primal part of James' brain lit up in warning. _Prey, we have spotted a predator! _But this prey had finally learned better than to run away.

He remembered Kendall walking into the ballroom exactly the same way the night of the gala, the first night they'd met.

"Once upon a time, you're name in my head was Hot Guy," he said cooly when Kendall was just a few steps away from him.

"Hot Guy, huh?" Kendall asked, amused. He spun James' chair around by the arm and scooped him up bodily, depositing him on the cool, black tabletop.

James' pulse picked up, but he bit his tongue against the squeak that threatened to burst from his throat...and the moan that always followed when Kendall demonstrated just how strong he was. James loved that about him-loved the way Kendall made him feel safe and protected _always_. But he also _lived _to remind Kendall that while _he _might be in charge in the bedroom, he was _not _dominant all the time. They had a constantly evolving set of rules, made even more exciting by the fact that Kendall tried to change them whenever it suited him, but James thrived on it. From the time he and Kendall had embraced again at the airport on St. Michel, he'd never for a second doubted he had one hundred percent of Kendall's focus, attention, and most importantly, his heart.

Still, the man needed to learn that his texts weren't always as amusing as he thought they were.

"Hot Guy," James confirmed cooly, as though he hadn't just been plunked bodily onto a new piece of furniture, and his man wasn't pushing James' knees wide apart so he could step inside them.

Kendall grabbed James' neck and yanked it to the side, biting down firmly on the exposed tendon between James' neck and shoulder. It was his favorite spot to mark James, who felt his dick becoming hard immediately. Conditioned response. When Kendall claimed that spot, James wanted nothing more than to submit.

But not today.

He bit his lip and fought the instinctive sway toward his boyfriend.

"That's okay, I'll take that. There are worse names than Hot Guy." Kendall chuckled.

James rolled his eyes. He opened his mouth to make some snarky retort-likely something that would amp up his boyfriend even more, but then Kendall did a thing with his tongue, curling his lips around the spot he'd bitten and sucking hard, and James couldn't keep up his pissy attitude anymore.

Within seconds, his eyes were closed, his lips moving under Kendall's, his hips sliding forward, as Kendall pushed his back down on the table. Kendall braced himself on one hand and lifted James' shirt, running a hand over James' abs in a way that made James shudder _hard_.

"We haven't christened this conference room yet," Kendall whispered.

James groaned, and his eyes flew open to meet Kendall's heated gaze. "True," he whispered back. His boyfriend had a thing for semi-public sex, and James was totally on board with it. _So _on board.

Kendall grabbed James' chin and held it firmly. "Yeah. So, what do you _say_?" he demanded.

Oh, the bastard. This was a game for _home_, not the conference room.

But the light in Kendall's eyes wouldn't be denied, and today, just this once, James didn't want to.

"_Please_," he whispered in Kendall's ear, feeling the lightness that always came from admitting what he wanted to the one man he could trust would always give it to him.

Then James was on his stomach bent over the table, his pants down around his ankles while Kendall worked him open from behind.

Kendall was all about making the most of the travel-size lube.

Kendall pushed inside him the next instant, and everything froze. Tingles of sensation floated up and down James' legs the way they always did, and his heart nearly hammered through his ribcage. Having Kendall like this, being taken by Kendall like this...it was everything to James.

Kendall shifted, tagging James' prostate like a professional, which James had to admit by this point he kind of was. He moaned as pinwheels of color exploded behind his eyes.

"More," James whispered, and Kendall gave it to him over and over again. The conference room with its beige walls and beige carpet floated away, the whole building, all of its inhabitants, ceased to exist for him, and James forgot his own damn name. He was Kendall's, and that was enough.

Later, when he was laying on his side on the cold, hard table catching his breath, Kendall's arms wrapped loosely around him, his thighs wet with Kendall's release, James remembered their earlier argument and began to chuckle.

"What's funny, Badass?" Kendall asked in that voice James loved.

"Here I thought firsts weren't good enough for you anymore," James teased. He grabbed Kendall's hand and brought it to his mouth, biting it firmly between his front teeth.

Kendall hissed. "You didn't see my reply?"

James rolled his eyes. "You know I didn't."

"Hmmm...Well, let me explain it to you, then." He pulled his hand away from James' mouth and rolled until he was poised over James-a position James couldn't help but feel would be more comfortable in their bed at home. But when Kendall opened his mouth again, James forgot any complaint he'd been about to make, because the words Kendall spoke were devastating and true.

"Firsts aren't good enough," he said, just as serious as James had ever seen him. "Because I don't _just _want your firsts. I want your onlys, Jay. Your lasts, your in-betweens. I want your always."

James' heart, already filled to bursting with everything that was Kendall, somehow managed to double in size.

This man, _his _man, was the most complicated, provoking, agitating, vexatious, aggravating man on the planet. And though working through everything had been hard and painful at times, falling in love with him had never been anything but plain, simple, and easy.

* * *

**Done! So, Kames are safe and together!**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter and story in general, as well as if you happened to have a favorite part/moment!**

**Again, I hope you all enjoyed and that you all are hanging in there! I can't believe this story is over, but I want to thank you all for your support and for joining me on yet another ride! :) I'm currently working on some new stories that I can't wait to eventually share with you, but in the meantime, I still have Music of My Soul and Falling going, so you'll definitely see more of me. ;) Love you all so much!**

**-Epically Obsessed**


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